


The Perfect Recipe

by Danypooh80



Series: It was never enough [2]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Snark, Soulmates, Time Shenanigans, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 35,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26095291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danypooh80/pseuds/Danypooh80
Summary: After graduation, Ignis and our favorite redhead Jenny are living in Insomnia. The advisor wants to propose, but in true Ignis fashion, it has to be absolutely perfect. Jenny, on the other hand, is getting used to living with her brother, working, and being in a relationship with a man who lives to assist the future king.Meanwhile, things are going on in Insomnia that are going to shake it’s very foundation- will Ignis & Jenny get it together? Is Noctis still a mouthy bastard? Will Gladio still be the voice of reason? Is Shaun going to adjust to living in another world? Is Prompto still adorable?Tune in on Tuesdays and Saturdays to find out!
Relationships: Ignis Scientia/Original Female Character(s), Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: It was never enough [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870864
Comments: 4
Kudos: 5





	1. Prepare your workstation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny & Shaun get settled in their new apartment

_ _

* * *

“Ow!” Prompto cried as he bumped into the ill-placed couch, glaring at the offending piece of furniture. “That friggin’ _hurt_!”

“Sorry,” I replied, quickly shoving the sofa out of the way and taking the stack of boxes from my friend. “Shaun and Gladdy just kinda did a drag and drop with it- didn’t mean to let it attack you, Prompt.” 

“I know,” he said, rubbing his shin as he flopped onto the evil sofa. He took a moment to look around the sparsely-furnished apartment, letting out a low whistle at the chaos that was currently our living room. “Uh, are you guys gonna be able to… I don’t know, move around in here? It seems kinda cluttered, Sweets.” 

“It’s just boxes,” I replied, flopping down next to him and wiping a film of sweat off my brow. “I gotta do something about them before Iggy gets over here, though- if he sees this place like this, the man is liable to have a heart attack, drop dead, then come back to life to clean the place for us.” When Prompto made a face that implied he was considering that option, I laughed and punched him in the arm. “Come _on_ ,” I wheedled, getting to my feet and grabbing his arms, “you promised you’d help me, remember?” 

“I still don’t know how I wound up being the one that got roped into helping you unpack,” Prompto mumbled, picking up the box of dishes and carefully taking them into the kitchen. “How did everyone else get out of doing manual labor?” 

I shrugged, wiping the dust from my hands onto my shorts, then quickly pulling my hair back into a messy braid. “Gladio got Shaun an interview at the garage, so that took the nerd and the muscle out of the equation, and Noct is working today.” Groaning, I hauled a stack of my books out of a box and dumped them on the floor, panting with the effort. “And we all know that if Iggy is breathing, then he’s working, so that counts him out… which leaves you, my best bud in the whole wide world, who is willing to get dirty and dusty with me as I try to remove some of these boxes that are threatening to crush me the minute I turn my back on them.” 

“I guess,” Prompto replied, grabbing a stack of flattened boxes and moving them into a corner. “Can’t believe it,” he said, shaking his head and clearing the debris from the couch so we could move it into its proper place. “You did it, Sweets- you got an apartment. Looks like you’re here for good, huh?” 

I shrugged, taking a corner of the sofa and lifting it with him, letting out a soft grunt at the effort. “It had to happen eventually,” I said, straining not to drop the ostentatious and extremely heavy piece of furniture. By all accounts, the sofa was something that belonged in the home of some debutant or noble, but my aunt Lana had insisted on giving it to us, much to my delight and to Shaun’s chagrin. She’d never wanted the couch in the first place- it was a gift from someone for something or other, but her staff told her that burning it in a bonfire might cause a diplomatic incident, so she’d simply had it chucked it into a storage space, never to be seen again. So, when Shaun and I casually mentioned that we needed a couch for our apartment, we found ourselves to be the proud owners of the bright red and gold monstrosity that matched absolutely nothing and yet would assume the honor of becoming the focal point of our haphazardly-furnished apartment. 

Now, as I found myself dragging the heavy thing across the room and watching my friend turn red in the face with exertion, I wondered if free stuff was really worth all this. Finally, just as I thought my arms were going to give out, we placed the eyesore down in its proper place, grunting and gasping from the herculean effort. “I’m taking an axe to that fucker before I move it again,” I wheezed, doubling over in pain before collapsing on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s not worth it- this thing is here for life.”

“Super comfy, though,” Prompt said, throwing himself onto it and sinking into the cushions. “Say, how about I just take a nap… right here.” He closed his eyes, folding his hands behind his head. “We did enough for the day, right?” 

“Ha ha,” I replied, rolling my head to look at him. “I gotta find my clothes, Prompt- I’m supposed to go to work tomorrow, and right now, I don’t know if I’m going to find bread or a bra when I reach in a box.” 

“Not an image I want, Sweets,” Prompt replied, his eyes still closed as he melted into the velvety pillows. “Besides, I can see the floor now- I call that a win.” 

Looking around the room, I saw that he was right- we had made a dent in the madness otherwise known as my living room. Once the sofa was no longer blocking the doors, the room was somewhat maneuverable again- all that was left was to move the boxes that were labeled properly to their respective homes. “Yeah, but the battle still rages on,” I teased, gesturing to the stack of boxes tenuously perched on the wooden table our uncle had built for us. “How am I supposed to make dinner like this?”

“You _really_ think Iggy is gonna let you make dinner on your first night in your new house?” Prompto let out a laugh, not moving from his position. “Actually, I think you’re gonna have to fight him about letting you guys do anything- I think he was more excited about you guys moving in than you two.”

“Well, you aren’t wrong,” I said sheepishly. Prompt had a point- Ignis had made us checklists, prepped all the necessary meetings, and even planned the most efficient way to pack and unpack our items… which I had promptly disregarded, as evidenced by the fact that I was pretty sure half of my underwear were residing with my art supplies. “I’m kinda trying to get this done before he gets off work… cause I kinda ignored almost all of his instructions.”

At that, the blond shot up from his nest of cushions, giving me the dirtiest look ever. “Is that why you roped me into helping you?”I tried to hide behind a stack of boxes, but Prompt was quicker- he threw a pillow at me, smacking me square in the face. “C’mon, Sweets- you couldn’t just listen to the man?”

“I tried, I really did!” I retorted, struggling to get to my feet. “And when he was helping it was fine, but then I got busy with work, and then I had to pull out my paints to touch up a few prints I was working on…” My voice trailed off, and I let my hands fall limply to my sides. “I just… left it all till the last minute and scribbled labels on the boxes.” Prompt let out a groan and threw himself back against the couch, but I leapt on him and shook him by his shirt. “No-no-no, don’t do that!” I pleaded, giving him my best set of puppy-dog eyes. “You _gotta_ help me! If he gets off work and sees this mess, he’s gonna give me that _look!_ ”

Prompt just looked at me. “You mean that one he does where he lets his glasses slide down his face and stares at you funny and bites his lip? Sorta like you just failed an exam he stayed up all night helping you study for?”

I pointed at my friend, eyes wide. “ _Yep!_ That’s the one, right there! I call it his judge-y face… I _hate_ that face, Prompt!”

“You deserve it.” The blond crossed his arm and glared at me, making me squirm with embarrassment. “You have earned the judge-y face! Seriously, look at this place, Sweets!"

“I will sneak you sushi for a week,” I begged, groveling at the feet of my friend. “Whatever you want, it’s yours, I promise- just help me get this place in order before he comes tonight!”

“Make it two weeks,” Prompt grumbled, groaning as he got up from the couch. “And I’m telling Noct all about this when he gets off work.”

“Three weeks and you are sworn to secrecy,” I countered. “You telling Noct and swearing him to secrecy would be like handing him the keys to a shiny new car and expecting him not to crash it.” Prompto thought about it for a moment, but before he could respond the front door opened, revealing Shaun, Gladio, and Iggy, standing in the hallway and looking around the messy apartment in open-mouthed shock. “Uh,” I said, getting to my feet and trying to block a garbage bag full of random items with my body, “hi guys… what are you all doing back so early?"

Shaun just stared at me. “Apparently, walking into the aftermath of a hurricane,” he remarked, glancing out over at the apartment and kicking a stack of boxes with his foot. “Geez, Shadow... I thought you and Specs had all this labeled and ready to go- what gives?"

“I did as well,” Ignis replied, raising his eyebrow at the paintbrushes sticking out of the box that clearly said 'pots and pans’. “However, it seems that we may have been somewhat mistaken in that assumption.” 

From across the room, I could hear Gladio nudging my brother. “I give Specs about ten minutes before he loses his mind.” 

“Anyway,” I said, hoping to change the subject as Ignis gingerly cleared a pile of books and made his way over to me. “I thought you were working today- I didn’t expect to see you until later tonight.” 

“Yeah, much later,” Prompto whispered as he took a stack of boxes into my room, making Shaun chuckle as he headed to the kitchen.

Ignis just sighed. “I was, but I thought that since it was your first day in the new house, I should come by…” His voice trailed off as he finally took note of the trash heap behind me, gently moving me to the side to get a better view of the bag I was doing a terrible job of trying to hide. “By the _six_ ,” he squawked, "how on _Eos_ did you manage to mangle the packing this badly! I left you a list in order to…” Then he looked in the bag and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You just swept everything off your dresser and into this bag, didn’t you?” 

I gave him my most innocent look, twisting the hem of my shirt between my fingers. “Well, not exactly… you see, what had happened was-“ 

Ignis cleared his throat, then pulled out a rumpled list, hitting me with the full-force of the judge-y face. “Yes, darling? You were saying?” 

Knowing I was beaten, I went for my ace in the hole, hoping to win back at least a modicum of my dignity. “I love you?” I said, flashing him my brightest smile and wrapping my dusty arms around his neck. “That you’re the most awesome boyfriend ever who is totally not going to drop dead when he finds some of my clothes mixed in with the cleaning supplies?” 

“Why would I-“ Ignis’s voice trailed off, and I quickly placed a kiss on his lips, waving frantically to Gladio as he hauled the offending box into my room. When I released his mouth, the advisor rested his forehead against mine, letting out a weary sigh. “Most awesome boyfriend ever?” 

“The best ever created,” I agreed, shoving the bag over toward Prompto with my foot. 


	2. Gather your ingredients

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio and Ignis have a lunchtime chat; Ignis does some shopping.

_ _

* * *

As Ignis sat in his office, he heard a soft knock on the door and groaned, surprised about the sudden intrusion. He’d been pouring over reports all day, hoping to get everything done so he could head down to the kitchens and try out an idea that had come to him in the middle of a meeting. “Come in,” he said, not even looking up from his papers. “How can I help you?” 

“I take it you forgot about lunch,” Gladio remarked, leaning casually against the door. “Can’t say I’m all that surprised, though.” 

Ignis just stared at the warrior for a moment, then let out a curse as he realized what Gladio was saying. “Oh! My apologies- it completely slipped my mind!” Ignis adjusted his glasses as he stood up from his desk, jostling his notes in the process. “I- oh drat!” He blew out a deep breath and tried to steady himself. “It’s been quite the day around here, I’m afraid.”

“Looks like it,” Gladio replied, moving over to the desk to help Ignis restore some order. “Still want to get something to eat, Specs?” 

Ignis started to say no, but his stomach chose that exact moment to let out a rumble of protest, making its thoughts on the matter quite clear. “I suppose I do,” he said with a chuckle. “Shall we?”

His friend just grinned as they made their way out of the palace, slowly merging into the throngs of people moving around the Citadel. “So,” Gladio teased as they made their way toward the coffee shop, “how’s domestic life treating you these days?” 

Ignis just rolled his eyes at the warrior as they made their way inside the store, the door chimes giving a soft jingle as they entered. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean by that.” Gladio gave a soft scoff but Ignis ignored him, choosing to peer at the contents in the display case instead. After much internal debate, he settled on a sandwich that looked somewhat decent and a large cup of Ebony, moving to the side so Gladio could place his order.

“C’mon, Specs,” Gladio said teasingly. “Shaun says that not only do you have a key, but that he’s starting to get accustomed to fresh coffee and breakfast in the morning. So spill it- are you moving in there or something?”

“I-“ He took his cup of coffee from the barista and glared at his friend, taking a long sip before clearing his throat and straightening his shirt. “Unless Shaun has a problem with me being in their space, I don’t see the issue with it.” 

Gladio paid for their meals and took his food, shaking his head as they headed over to a table by the window. “No one said it was a problem,” he said as he took a huge bite of his sandwich. “In fact, I think it’s kinda nice- you seem happier, Specs,” the warrior said, his tone more serious. “Have you ever thought about making this thing between you and Sweets a bit more official?” 

“All the time,” Ignis admitted, glancing down at his beverage and losing himself in the swirls of steam rising from the cup. “I’m just not sure how to do it- she’s getting settled into life here, and between my duties to the prince…” When Gladio rolled his eyes, the advisor let out a deep sigh and looked up at his friend, his normally stoic expression unsure. “Do you honestly think I can have both?” 

“Specs, you do realize that it’s not impossible for you to have a family and serve the crown, right? My dad did it… your family did it… and I damn sure plan to do it one day. Trust me- it’s okay to have both.” Gladio smiled, taking a sip of his drink. “And considering Sweets knows what she’s getting into and loves you anyway- I’d jump on the opportunity before she comes to her senses, Specs.” 

He stared out the window and watched the people outside, oblivious to his internal debates as they made their way along the city streets. “Am I rushing this?” Ignis asked honestly, leaning his elbows on the table. “I feel… I feel like I’m getting everything I’ve ever wanted, but I’m not sure if I should stop for a moment and examine why.” 

“I think you should stop thinking,” Gladio replied, popping the last of his food into his mouth. “You keep waiting for the perfect moment, but I hate to break it to you... there’s never gonna be one. There’s only the moment you got right now, and the sooner you realize it, the better off you’re gonna be.” The warrior laughed, shaking his head and letting his dark hair fall into his face for a moment before tucking it back behind his cap. “And if you didn’t already attend to Noct’s every need, I’d say you owe that man everything, cause he’s saved your ass more times than I can count.” Ignis stared at Gladio with confusion, but the warrior just laughed. “You waited too long for everything,” he said simply. “You only got as far as you did because Noct was always right behind you- every time you faltered, he was there to pick up the slack.” Ignis searched desperately for a fact to contradict his friend’s statement, but Gladio just smiled, his amber eyes serious for once. “We can’t help you with this one, Specs- you gotta do it on your own.” 

Thoroughly chastised, Ignis stared at his cup and pondered Gladio’s words. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this exact thing," he said softly, finishing his coffee. “I just want to do this right.”

“Then stop stalling and just do it already,” Gladio said firmly, picking up their trash and rising from his seat. “That’s all there is to it.”  
—  
As Ignis made his way back to his office, he pondered what his friend had said to him. _Should I just send caution to the wind and give myself over to the idea of a new future? Can I truly have everything I want?_

Lost in this thoughts, Ignis didn’t see the young man in the leather coat standing in front of him- unceremoniously, he rammed the poor fellow in the back, causing the man to let out a startled yelp as he dropped the book he was holding. “Oh no!” Ignis exclaimed, scrambling to the ground. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” the man drawled as he bent down to retrieve his items, giving Ignis a smile as he moved his dark hair out of his face. “It’s just a book- no harm done, kid.” 

“I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Ignis replied, trying to get his bearings back. “My sincerest apologies, sir.” 

“Like I said, no harm done,” the man said kindly, his strange grey eyes twinkling with amusement as he picked up his book, thumbing through the pages absentmindedly. “Seems like I should be asking you if you’re all right- you seem a bit out of it.”

“Just lost in thought,” Ignis replied, straightening his glasses and getting to his feet. “I’ll be fine.” 

“It’s always the thinking part that gets us into trouble, isn’t it?” The man laughed, placing the book into his bag and adjusting the collar on his coat and offering Ignis a small wave as he headed down the street. “Take care, kid- just make sure you watch out for pedestrians next time, ok?”

“Will do,” Ignis replied, returning the wave and breathing a sigh of relief that his carelessness hadn’t resulted in anything more than a polite conversation. As he turned to the window to adjust his clothes, the advisor’s eyes went wide as he saw the ring in the display case, the shimmering stone Jenny’s favorite shade of purple. “I can’t believe it,” Ignis murmured, pressing his face against the glass to get a closer look. “I daresay she’d love this.” 

For a moment, Ignis hesitated. He could probably do some more research, check around to see if there was another like it somewhere, ensure that the stone was of the highest quality, or even see if there was something more suitable elsewhere. _But that’s the exact thing Gladio was warning me against,_ he chided himself. _If I don’t act now, there’s a chance I’ll lose this opportunity._

Taking a deep breath and feeling the reassuring weight of his wallet in his pocket, Ignis made his way inside the store, determined not to waste the opportunity presented to him. 

_ _

* * *

“Laying it on a little thick, aren’t we?” Sam said as she continued to sketch away in her book, not even looking up when the dark-haired man sat down next to her. “I _t’s always the thinking part that gets us into trouble,_ ” she said mockingly, a small smile playing at the edges of her mouth. “Really? You had to go there?”

“Hey, you didn’t give me a script, and I had to give them enough time to get that ring of yours in the window,” the man replied, crossing his long legs and spreading his arms behind the bench. “And don’t go knocking my methods, kid- I’ve been doing shit like this since before you were born.” 

“I wouldn’t be so proud of being ancient, Alex,” Sam replied, poking the man in the side and making him chuckle. “It’s not a good look for you.”

“Everything is a good look on me,” Alex retorted, making Sam laugh before she returned to her sketch. “So, now that we’ve gotten that little bit out of the way, are we done here?” 

“Nope,” Sam replied, still engrossed in her sketch. “We’re waiting on someone.” 

Alex shifted, causing her to tilt her head to his. “Come again? I thought this was an in and out type mission, not a meet and greet- you ain’t got the juice to keep me like this too long, kid.” 

“Don’t worry,” Sam said quietly, making a few final strokes on her drawing. When she finished, she ripped out a page and folded it into a neat square, putting the book back into her bag and twirling the folded paper between her fingers nervously. Alex gave her a curious look but Sam just placed a hand on his leg, giving him a polite smile instead of an explanation. “She’ll be along shortly."

And as she knew it would, the smell of ice and flowers danced under her nose as a young woman with pale skin and jet black hair suddenly appeared next to them, her black dress shifting in the breeze. “You’re playing an interesting game,” the woman said, sitting on the bench and tapping her dark nails on the armrest. “What’s your interest in that boy, Watcher?” 

“Gentiana,” Sam said pleasantly, giving the woman serving as the high messenger a polite inclination of her head. “A pleasure, as always.”

“Somehow, I’m not so sure I believe you," the woman replied, the kindness of her tone only undercut by the iciness in her olive green eyes. “Your hand seems to be in quite a bit as of late… do you care to share why that is?”

“You and I both know it’s not time to show all the cards,” Sam said lightly, her deep green gaze unflinching as she stared at the woman next to her, holding the folded-up sketch in her palm. “However, I do have a message for Lady Lunafreya… that is, if you’re still willing to take it."

“I am,” Gentiana said, plucking the paper from Sam’s outstretched hand. “Though I don’t know why you don’t choose to take it to her yourself- we both know you’re more than capable of it.” 

“Because I don’t want to get into a fight with you,” Sam replied casually. “You and I both know that if I showed up uninvited, you’d take issue with it… and I’d like to stay on your good side for as long as I possibly can.”

“So it appears that you do see more than you let on,” the messenger said with a cold smile. “But since we’re holding court, Watcher,” Gentiana said quietly, watching as Ignis left the store, clutching the tiny bag as if were a lifeline, “I’d like you to tell me something- what do you hope to gain from arranging the pieces this way? Out of all the other players in this game, why did you choose to make him your knight?” 

“Because she chose him,” Sam answered honestly, smiling as she felt the advisor’s decisions solidify, causing the threads to swirl into a more favorable direction. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Gentiana nodded. "But the end is still the same, despite your insistence and interference- why continue?"

“Just because it’s the same right now doesn’t mean it stays that way,” Sam replied, staring down at her hands and twisting the emerald ring around her finger. “Put it like this- I want to help… that’s all.”

“Enough to raise the dead?” Gentiana asked, inclining her head to Alex. From her right, Sam heard the man swallow, obviously caught off-guard by the messenger’s astute observation. “Why go to such extremes? Why now?”

“Because you know as well as I do that it has to be their choice,” Sam replied, folding her hands in her lap. “But… I was taught to use all the items at my disposal to ensure the cards fall in my favor.” She gave the woman a sly wink, surprising the messenger enough to make her laugh. “What can I say- I’m only human, after all.” 

Gentiana just laughed, tucking the piece of paper in her pocket. “That’s a loose definition of the word, Watcher.” Then she stood up, finally offering Sam a real smile before leaving, the lingering scent of flowers the only evidence she’d ever been there in the first place. 

“Well, considering that no one died, that meeting went better than I thought,” Sam said brightly, hopping to her feet and extending her hand to Alex. “Ready to go?”

Alex just stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. “You’re playing a dangerous game, kid,” he warned, taking her hand in his. “There’s a lot of pieces on the board right now- you sure it’s worth all this?”

“Oh, it is,” Sam replied, her expression grim as they left the park, leaving the lights of Eos to fade away behind them. “That’s for damn sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're curious, Alex is Captain Alex Hawthorne from the Outer Worlds- his story is told in the "Waiting at the Edge of Forever" series :)


	3. Mix Carefully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is working late, but Jenny isn't too keen on waiting alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW.. .just saying.

_ _

* * *

It had been a long day all around, and Ignis wanted nothing more than to settle down for the evening. His shoulders ached from being hunched over all day, and he felt like his eyes were crossing from exhaustion, but he wanted to make sure everything was taken care of before he left for the day. _No sense in leaving issues for another day_ , he thought as he tried to rub out the knots in his neck. _It will only make tomorrow worse._

Just then his phone buzzed, making him jump at the sudden noise. Despite his fatigue, Ignis picked up the phone, smiling at the thought of the woman on the other end of the line. “Hello, darling,” he said quietly, careful to keep his voice low. “I thought you’d be asleep by now.” 

“I would,” Jenny replied, “but it’s kinda hard to fall asleep in your bed without you here- it just doesn’t give me that same warm and fuzzy feeling without you in it, Iggy.”

He let out a low chuckle, pushing the long blond strands away from his face. “Did I hear you properly?”

“You did,” she replied, and Ignis could hear the sounds of sloshing water in the background. “Couldn’t sleep, so I came over here.”

He didn’t even try to stop the smile spreading across his face- instead, Ignis closed his eyes, letting her warm voice wash over him and soothe his frayed nerves. “Sounds like you might have replaced a bed for a bathtub,” he said lightly, tapping his fingers on the desk. “Any particular reason?” 

She laughed, and Ignis could practically hear her shrug. “Well, since you weren’t here, I decided a bath wouldn’t be the worst thing. Plus,” she said teasingly, “I thought the image of me in the tub might get you to stop putting down roots at your desk and get your ass home a little faster.” 

_Home_ , he thought happily, feeling a jolt move through his body and a flush creep to his face. _A home… with you_. He chuckled, straightening the stacks of papers on his desk- the idea of sitting at the desk for even a minute longer seemed positively ludicrous to him. “I must admit, your idea does have merit.” 

“I should hope so,” she teased. “And if you hurry, I might even still be in here when you arrive.”

“Is that a promise?” Ignis asked, hastily shoving things into this bag and checking the room before he locked up. “It’s not polite to tease, you know.” 

He could hear the sloshing of water as she laughed. “All I’m saying is that once I change into the comfy clothes, I make no promises on getting out of them, Iggy."

“I’m going to have to respectfully request that you leave those items of clothing exactly where they are,” Ignis replied, turning off the light and heading down the stairs. “I daresay you doing anything else would qualify as horribly impolite, seeing as how I’m on my way right now.” 

“Better hurry,” Jenny said huskily. “Water’s getting cold, Iggy.”

“Then add some more,” he replied as he walked down the street, opening his umbrella to protect him from the lightly falling rain. “I’d hate for you to catch a chill, darling.” 

“Since it’s raining out, maybe I should go,” Jenny mused. “Staying on this phone is probably stopping you from getting here faster.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Ignis replied, tapping his foot as he waited impatiently for the light to change. “Your companionship is the catalyst that's spurring me onward, after all.” 

“So,” Jenny drawled, the sound of her voice sending shivers down his spine, “are you telling me that my boyfriend is picturing me naked and is so hot and bothered that he’s rushing his ass home?   
  
“Yes,” Ignis said seriously, jumping out the way of a car that threatened to soak him as it splashed through a puddle. “That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“Good… cause that’s what I wanted to hear,” she purred. “So, while I wait in this tub, how about you tell me just how much you want to see me?”

Ignis felt his face go red. “I hardly think this is an appropriate conversation to be having right now,” he replied, trying not to focus on the images of her lying naked in his tub. “I’ll be home soon, I promise.” 

“Funny, I’m starting to feel a draft,” Jenny mused, letting Ignis hear the sloshing of water as she stood up in the tub. “I think I should get out of here.” 

“Sit back down,” Ignis growled, making her purr with amusement as he heard her return to a sitting position. “We had an accord, Miss Hancock.”

“Tell you what… how about you tell me what you’re thinking, and every time you do, I’ll add a little more hot water.” She let out a heady laugh and Ignis heard her turn the knob on the faucet, the soft babble of the water sending the blood rushing between his legs. “I’ll even give you a freebie and tell you what I’m thinking, Iggy.” 

Ignis swallowed, feeling his pants growing increasingly tighter. “And what are you thinking, love?” This was new territory for him- usually, their dalliances were just pure and simple, made up of stolen moments where nothing but wholly giving himself to her would do to extinguish the fire in his soul. By this point, he’d made a map of every freckle on her body, taking pleasure in knowing every spot that made her moan. They’d moved past the casual and awkward fumbling of first encounters to rushed couplings every chance they could get- Ignis swore every time he sank inside her was the best feeling on the planet, but it almost seemed as if the woman was on a constant mission to prove him wrong. 

At first, he’d worried about being too forward, but he needn’t have worried- his lover seemed almost determined to turn him into a simpering mess at every turn, delighting in making the stoic advisor lose all sense of decorum by any means necessary. She’d been surprised to learn that he’d never experienced the touch of another, awkwardly explaining to her that the thought had just never appealed to him before her. He’d conveniently left out the fact that he’d resigned himself to being alone after meeting her and coming to grips with the fact that he might never see her again, content to make do with dreams of what might have been and never willing to sully them with a sub-par reality. 

_It’s always been you_ , he’d said, knowing that his lover would have no idea just how true his words were as he buried his face in her shoulder, losing himself in the warmth of her skin as she clung to him. He wanted to take every breath, gasp, whisper, and moan and pack them away- _this is mine_ , he thought as he moved inside her, the possessiveness thrumming through his body like a drum. _For once, there is something that is only mine, an experience meant only for us._ And when she looked up at him with those green eyes of hers clouded with lust and love, he felt his body stutter as the orgasm rolled through him, making him see stars as he came. _I’m yours,_ he’d said as he lay next to her, marveling at the sensation of her tanned skin under his fingers, sprawled across his bed and flushed from their coupling. _For the rest of my life, my heart is yours,_ he’d said, encircling his fingers in hers and wondering how they’d look adorned with wedding bands. 

Her throaty laugh and the gentle splashing of water brought him back to the present, cursing the weather and the distance between them. “I’m thinking of how good you'd look in this tub with me,” she said teasingly. “I’m feeling a little lonely right now.”

At that, Ignis no longer cared how he looked to the people on the street- the advisor broke out into a run, ignoring the splashes of water as he raced to his apartment. “I’m coming.” 

“Not yet you aren’t,” Jenny purred, making Ignis almost trip over his feet at the insinuation. “I’d like to get at least something out of this… do I need to start without you?” 

“Wait for me,” he panted, weaving through the streets as the rain proceeded to drench his clothes and fog his glasses. “I don’t want to miss a minute, love.” 

“Water's getting cold,” she whispered, letting out a slight moan. “Take my mind off it, Iggy.” 

“It sounds like you’re trying to do my job for me,” he said as he waited impatiently at a streetlight, wondering if an alternate route would be faster- the walk that never seemed to take any time at all felt like it was spanning an eternity. “If you wait five more minutes, I promise to give you everything you want and more, darling.” 

He heard the sound of the faucet running as the light changed, making him grin as he sped down the street, his blond hair turning dark from the rain. “I suppose I can add a little more water… if you think it’s gonna be worth me waiting up for you.” 

“I’m almost there,” Ignis replied, grateful to see his apartment looming in the distance. Determined to get there as fast as possible, Ignis sped toward the building, ignoring the sting of the water against his cheeks as he dashed through the rain, no longer caring that his clothes were soaked through- he’d be out of them soon enough. “Just hold on a little longer, love.”

“For you, anything,” Jenny said, turning on the water again. “I’d wait a lifetime for you, Iggy.”

“You’ll never have to,” he said firmly, fumbling in his pocket for his key as he slammed through the entryway, panting with the mix of effort and anticipation as he tossed his coat on the floor and kicked off his shoes, forcing his chilled fingers to unbutton his damp shirt. “I’m here, Jenny.” 

“I know,” she called out, her voice echoing through the halls. “I’m glad, cause I missed you.” 

Hanging up his phone, Ignis couldn’t control the smile on his face as he raced into the bathroom, struck dumb by the sight of the redhead in his tub, her wild curls piled on the top of her head as she leaned against the wall, a glimmer of her chest visible above the water while her tiny finger beckoned for him to come closer. “What a sight to come home to,” he breathed, knowing full well his excitement was on display. Judging by the gleam in her eyes as she took in the sight of him, his interest hadn’t gone unnoticed. “You should do this more often, darling.” 

Never taking her eyes off him, Jenny slid her hand beneath the water, then bit her lip, causing Ignis to give her a cocky little smile as he got on his knees, pulling her closer to him. Her arms left wet splotches on his shirt, but he hardly cared. “I thought I told you to wait for me,” he whispered as he kissed her damp neck, smiling as she shivered beneath his touch as he pinned her arms against the tub. “Whatever am I going to do with you?” 

“You’re overdressed and taking too long,” Jenny murmured as she nipped his earlobe. “Looks to me like you just weren’t that interested… so I took matters into my own hands.” 

“Then you obviously need glasses,” he replied as he lifted her out the tub, nuzzling her collarbone as he pressed her wet body against him, carrying her out the bathroom and toward his bedroom. “Do you need to borrow mine?” 

Her laugh was musical as she took them off his face, putting them on hers. “Well, would you look at that,” she said teasingly as they stopped in the hall. He couldn’t fully see her, but he could tell that she’d put her hand to her mouth. “You’re right- how did I ever miss that.” Then he noticed her shaking her head and he felt her remove his glasses. “Good grief, Iggy- those hurt! How blind are you?”

Holding back a laugh, he nipped at her neck and caused her to squirm in his arms. “Quite… and disappointed that I can’t see you in my arms right now.” 

“Oh, is that why we stopped?” He nodded and she took the glasses from him, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Then I guess I just have to be your eyes, don’t I?” 

“Or… you could just replace my glasses,” he said teasingly. “Seeing as I’m holding something in my arms I happen to think is pretty important.” 

“Go forward,” she whispered in his ear, running her fingers in his hair. “I’ll guide you.” Ignis hesitated for a moment, but then he felt her lips on his and her hands on his cheeks. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” he replied, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of her in his arms. “Always.” 

“Then close your eyes and go forward,” she repeated, caressing his face with soft, gentle strokes. “No matter what, I’ve got you, Iggy.”

And as he moved through the darkness, rewarded at every step with feather-light kisses all over his face, he realized that he did trust her. He’d left himself at her mercy, but the small woman in his arms had no intention of letting him stumble. Right now, Jenny was not only the other half of his heart but his eyes as well, leading him confidently into the unknown with soft declarations of love the entire time. All too soon they arrived at his bed, and he set her down gently, eager to return the favor. “My glasses, please,” he said softly. “I want to see you.” 

“Too bad,” Jenny replied, leaning over to switch off the bedside lamp and enveloping the room in darkness. “I had to make do with images of you… so you’re just going to have to imagine what I’m doing to you.” In one swift move, she’d yanked the loosely dangling tie from his collar, wrapping it around his eyes. “No peeking,” she said mischievously, as she slid his sopping shirt off his shoulders. “You peek and I stop.” 

“Considering I can barely see two feet in front of me, this is overkill,” he said, feeling her lift his wet undershirt. Her soft hands were sliding up his chest, and the slightly chilled air raised the thin hair that dotted his stomach. “I want to see you.” 

“But what if I don’t want you to?” Jenny asked, and he could tell she was smirking at him as she unbuckled his pants. “What if I want to surprise you?” The button on his pants was released, and her hands moved down his legs as the damp garment dropped to the floor, leaving him clad in only his boxers. “Seems to me like you’re ok with it so far,” she teased as she ran her fingers across his covered shaft, causing him to gasp at her touch. “But if you want me to stop…” 

“Never,” he said hurriedly, gripping her shoulders and drawing in a ragged breath as her fingers danced up and down, making his senses ping in a million different directions. The fabric of his boxers soon began to move and he was soon fully exposed, feeling the soft tickles of her hair as she gently removed his underwear. Ignis moaned as she took his hands, guiding him so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. “What are you doing to me?”

Ignis heard her shift around and then her hands slid up his calves, resting on the inside of his thighs. “Everything,” she said quietly, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Still trust me?” 

“I never stopped,” he replied, tracing patterns around the nape of her neck. Lowering his head and stopping when he felt her skin against his, he kissed the bridge of her nose, smiling at the wicked little woman in front of him. “Just remember that turnabout is fair play, love.” 

“If you think you can top me,” she said as she took him in her hands, making him gasp, “then, by all means, try. But just so you know,” Jenny murmured as she lowered her head, tracing her tongue down his stomach as her hand moved along his shaft, “I’m a tough act to follow.” 

He started to say something else, but all that came out was a strangled yelp as her head moved lower, her soft tongue swirling around his tip as she gripped him with her hand. When her mouth closed around him, Ignis felt like his body was fighting to move in a million different directions- he couldn’t decide if he wanted to shoot up toward the ceiling, throw himself against the bed, or thrust into the back of her throat. So instead of any of those things, he went completely still, pressing his palms into her shoulders and doing his best not to dig his nails into her smooth skin.

As he bit his lip and worked to keep himself quiet, he felt her laughing against his lap, making him twitch and moan as she removed him from her mouth. “Having fun?” Jenny teased. “I can’t tell if I’m doing it right- doesn’t seem like you’re enjoying yourself, Iggy.” 

Groaning, he grabbed a fistful of her hair in his hands, tilting her head back so he could reach her lips. “You are positively exquisite,” he said as he kissed her, moving quickly and pulling her into his lap. “And if you keep that up, you’ll end up finding out exactly how much I enjoyed that, you little minx.” 

“In case you hadn’t noticed, “ she said, laughing as she rubbed against him, making his eyes roll into the back of his head at the warmth from between her legs, “that was kind of what I was aiming for.” 

Smiling, he ran his fingers along her body, moving downward until he could feel the tangle of coarse hair beneath his fingertips. “But I believe I was set to do something for you, wasn’t I?” Slipping his fingers between her wet folds, he smiled as he felt her spasm in his arms. The more she jerked, the tighter he held her, delighting in every gasp and moan he could coax from her lips. Never letting his hand stray from its task, he lowered his head, darting his tongue along her skin while his other palm pressed against the small of her back, locking her in place while he dipped his fingers inside of her, stroking the delicate bundle of nerves that he knew would turn her into a mess in his hands. He loved having her like this, wild and undone at his touch, and he vowed that no one else would ever get the chance to do it- he thought about the tiny purple ring in the back of his drawer and how easy it would be to let the entire world see his devotion to the woman in his arms. 

As his tongue found the swell of her breast, he took the delicate bud between his lips and heard her let out a gasp, digging her nails into his back as he moved his finger faster, feeling himself grow harder and start to ache as she vibrated around him. _I could let you finish_ , he thought wickedly as he dragged his tongue along the hard little pebble of flesh, _but I absolutely abhor doing things by half_. Reluctantly stilling his hand, he moved his head to the other side, smiling to himself as she tried to thrust against his fingers. “I’m sorry,” he said smugly as he nipped softly at her other nipple, delighting in the breathy moan she emitted as she tried to move her hand to do what his had stopped doing, “I had to stop and check- I wasn’t sure if you were enjoying yourself.” 

He would have given anything to see the look of rapture and anger twisting on her face as he flicked the tiny nub between her legs. “Goddamn you, Iggy… this is fucking _torture_.” 

“I’m sorry,” he replied, not sounding sorry in the slightest. “But I was under the impression that what I was doing wasn’t even remotely up to your standards- better to stop than to fumble about aimlessly,” he teased. “Or…” Ignis purred as he raised his head, nipping along her collarbone until he found his face flush against her ear, noticing how she trembled with every word he spoke, "will you stop being so headstrong and just let me do my job?” 

“What...” she panted as he started moving his hand again, causing Jenny to stutter as she thrust her fingers in his hair. “What’s your job?” 

“To please you,” Ignis replied, his fingers plunging faster and deeper. “And to love you,” he whispered, holding her tight in his arms as her body twitched and writhed against him. From the heat of her skin on his, he could tell that she was close, hovering on that edge of the release he loved to see. When she gave a muffled gasp, he slowed his motions and brushed his lips against the curve of her ear. “You blindfolded me, remember? If you don’t use your words,” Ignis said, his voice low and heady, “then how will I know if I’m successful?"

“You damn well know what you’re doing,” Jenny growled. “Just please… please don’t stop…” He smiled and resumed his ministrations, causing her to throw her head back and scream, this time loud enough for the neighbors to hear. “Oh, Iggy… _FUCK!_ ” 

Ordinarily, Ignis would be embarrassed about being so wanton with his endeavors, but this time he’d gladly throw open the windows and doors if it meant that she’d continue to sing his praises. To his delight, her words soon devolved into random whimpers as she clung to his neck, her body shuddering with the aftershocks of her climax. “Take this off,” he said, slowing his motions as he gently kissed her lip. “I need to see you.”

“After that,” she heaved, pushing the tie off of his face, “you can have whatever you want, Iggy,” Jenny said shakily, wrapping her arms around him.

“What if I already have everything I want?” Ignis asked softly, stroking the sweaty hair away from her face. “What if all I want is you?”

"Careful, Iggy," Jenny chided, bringing a slender hand to his face and tracing patterns along his cheek. "You keep talking like that and I just might think you mean it."

Feeling as if someone had splashed him with cold water, Ignis threw his arms around her waist, desperate to remove any space between them. "I’ve never meant anything more in my life," he replied as he rested his head on her shoulder, surrounding himself with the scent of her. “I love you, Jenny…don’t ever doubt that for a second, please.” 

“I know,” she replied, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “I trust you.”

And with the dim light of the moon silhouetting her, Jenny climbed on top of him, enveloping every one of his senses with her. Tentatively, she moved up and down, causing him to throw his head against the pillow as her motions brought him closer and closer to the brink. “And I love you,” he murmured, gripping her waist as he pressed her against his body, refusing to part with her for even a moment as he moved for the both of them. She tossed her head back, the tangled mass of curls starting to blur into a beautiful red halo around her head as he watched her breasts move up and down, mesmerized at the sight of her entire body responding to his touch. _I can’t let you go_ , he thought, rising and meeting her mouth with his as he stroked that spot between her legs, desperate to make her come apart with him. _I need you, Jenny… I can’t do this without you._

And as he watched her shatter on top of him, Ignis clutched her tightly as he came, unwilling to let her go even for a moment. His heart thudded in his ears as he tried to catch his breath- everything felt like it was moving too fast, and the only thing he could be sure of was her. Right now, the entirety of the world was the woman nestled in his arms, and he knew that there wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do to keep her safe. Letting out a shaky exhale, Ignis raised his head from her chest and stared at Jenny, running his hands across her hair. “I…” he started to say, then all the words escaped him- he just collapsed against her and shook, feeling completely overwhelmed and relieved at the same time. Unable to do a thing except hold her, he closed his eyes and focused on breathing before trying again. “Be patient with me,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. “I love you.”

“I know,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair and holding him close, feeling more real than anything he’d ever known. “I love you too.” 


	4. Don't overwork the dough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jenny has a bad day at work, but Noct comes to the rescue

_ _

* * *

Gritting my teeth and plastering a smile on my face, I wondered if Noct could get me out of jail if I punched the irritating man at the counter in the teeth. “ _Sir_ ,” I said, fighting to keep my voice light as my fingers twitched at my side, looking for my nonexistent gun, “I assure you, I will handle this issue right away.” 

The slimy-looking man in the suit had been an irritation since the moment he’d walked in the door- he’d tried flirting with me and not taking no for an answer while he waited for a seat, earning him a spot on my shit list. Now, he had rocketed up to irritant number one with a bullet by grabbing my arm as I tried to go to the kitchen, complaining about a non-issue in an effort to make me talk to him. It was at times like this I missed being in the Commonwealth- if this had happened in Goodneighbor, I would have been well within my rights to shoot him in the face and pick his pockets afterward. However, things were a tad more refined in Insomnia, which meant I had to find a more diplomatic way to tell the jackwad to fuck off.

Shooting a glance to Noct, who was in the kitchen and watching this entire exchange, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “Sir,” I muttered through clenched teeth as I forcefully removed his hand from my person, “I will be happy to get the manager for you, but I’m going to need you to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Oh, come on,” he sneered, looking me up and down, his eyes conspicuously resting on my chest, “you know it’s not that bad. Say, how about I just take you out after you get off work and make it up to you? How’s that sound, huh?”

“Like a terrible idea,” Noct replied, walking up to us and wrapping a hand around my waist and placing a kiss on my cheek. “You alright over here, Sweets?”

Vacillating between revulsion and gratitude, I smiled at my best friend and patted his cheek. “Perfect, hon- this man was just waiting for the manager to talk with him,” I said pointedly. “You mind waiting here with our friend while I go and get him?”

“Not at all, darling,” Noct said with a smile, turning to the annoying man while I scurried off to the kitchen. Once inside, I flagged down the manager and slumped against the fridge, closing my eyes and taking a minute to get myself together as I slid to the floor. _Just one random asshole_ , I told myself. _Happens all the time, no need to get your panties in a bunch._

“You ok, Sweets?” Noct asked, placing a hand on my shoulder and staring at me with concern. “He didn’t hurt you, right?”

Shaking my head, I laughed mirthlessly. “To be honest, I was more concerned about how to not lose my job- I was about to kick his teeth in, but I figured that might be frowned upon here.”

“Just a little,” Noct replied, offering me his hand and pulling me to my feet. “You looked like you were ready to explode back there.” 

“So that’s why you decided to play white knight,” I said, smoothing my hair back and adjusting my dress. “By the way, that was hella gross, Noct.” 

“Trust me, it wasn’t the greatest experience for me, either,” the prince said drolly. “But sometimes you just gotta take one for the team… _hon_.” 

“Fuck off,” I replied, laughing as I hit him in the arm. “God, I am ready to get the fuck outta here… especially now.” 

Noct shrugged. “It’s six… our shift is over anyway.” He untied his apron, hanging it on the back hook and giving me a teasing smile. "Ready to head home, darling? Will you be cooking dinner for us while you rub my feet? It has been such a long day, you know.” 

“You just can’t let shit go, can you?” I grumbled, scowling as we clocked out and left the restaurant and he draped an arm over my shoulder. Sniffing his arm, I wrinkled my nose. “Ugh, you stink, Noct- you smell like the number three that went bad about a week ago.” 

“Hazards of the job,” the prince replied, throwing his other arm around me and making me gag as I swatted at him. “Not gonna lie, I’m definitely headed straight for the shower when we get inside, Sweets- sorry to spoil any dreams you might’ve had to the contrary.”

Coughing, I shoved him away, rolling my eyes as he laughed at me. “Trust me, I was about to toss you straight in there myself- I’ll just go to Iggy’s and grab a shower there.” Checking my phone and not seeing any new messages from anyone, I sighed. “Call Prompt and have him meet us in fifteen? Pizza on me?”

“No messages from Iggy?” Noct asked, staring straight ahead. “Want me to call him and ask for dinner?”

“I’m not going to use you to get my boyfriend home,” I groused, waiting on the light to change. “He’ll be here when he’s done- besides, not like I can’t hang out with you guys in the meantime.” 

“Yeah, but…” Noct’s voice trailed off as we crossed the street, and he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Just thought that, you know… you might want to talk to him after that.”

I turned to my friend and scoffed. “Noct, I think it’s sweet that you think you guys have to protect me, but you gotta remember, I’m not from here.” We entered his building and I shut up until we got in the elevator, unwilling to let someone overhear our conversation. “If I’m being completely honest, I have to stop myself all the time from just whaling on someone- it’s why I like training so much.” Noct just looked at me and I shrugged. “I still have a real hard time figuring out what’s acceptable and what isn’t sometimes.”

“Trust me, that guy was pushing the boundaries,” Noct grumbled. “Look, I know you can handle yourself- that’s not the issue.” He let out a deep sigh and tapped his foot as we rode to his floor, staring at the ceiling as if the tiles were fascinating. “It’s that you shouldn’t have to do it at all- no one should be treating you like that, Sweets.”

“I get it, but compared to the assholes back home, he was tame. I would’ve figured it out… eventually.” Noct huffed as he reached for his keys, and I gave him a sheepish grin. “But all jokes aside, I appreciate the assist- it’s nice to know you have my back.”

Noct just stared at me, then shook his head. "You know it’s ok to ask for help, right? We’re all here for you- you don’t have to do everything on your own.” 

“Old habits die hard,” I replied, taking off my shoes as we entered his house. “But thank you anyway… _darling_ ,” I teased, fluttering my eyelashes at him and folding my hands in front of my chest. “You really are a big softie underneath all that prickle, aren’t you?” 

The prince rolled his eyes at me. “Whatever… _honey_ ,” he grumbled, taking off his shirt and tossing the funky garment directly in my face.

_ _

* * *

As Ignis braced himself for the mess that would surely greet him at the door, he was surprised to see that there were no bags of garbage piled at the entryway and there were no clothes littering the floor. Taking a look around the spotless apartment, Ignis was surprised to hear the sounds of laughter coming from the living room and chuckled to see Gladio, Noct, and Prompt sitting around the living room while Jenny washed the dishes, humming to herself as she worked. Shaking his head, he took off his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt, walking into the kitchen and placing a kiss on his lover’s cheek. “I assume this is all your doing,” he said lightly, smiling as she turned and wrapped her wet hands around his neck. “You didn’t need to do this, darling.” 

“Hey,” Noct said from the living room, barely looking up from his phone, “that’s my name now, Iggy- sorry about that.” Ignis gave Jenny a look, but Noct just laughed. “Apparently, I’m her work husband- didn't you know?” 

Ignis just stared at him blankly, trying to figure out just what exactly was going on. “Pardon?” 

"Seems like someone's not up to date on the latest sushi news," Gladio said as he got up to drop his plate in the sink. “Apparently, there was some loser giving Sweets guff at the shop today- he got handsy, so Noct over here stepped in.” 

“ _What?_ ” He whirled around to Jenny, who just sighed. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“Because,” she replied, kissing him on the cheek, “it wasn’t a big deal- it happened, now it’s done. We saved you some pizza,” she said, walking over to the stove as if the conversation was of no consequence to her. “Want me to heat you up a slice, or are you gonna be a barbarian like these dudes and eat it cold?”

Ignis ignored her request and turned to Noct, both curious about the incident and irritated that he was only finding out about it now. “Who was this man?”

“Some random jerk,” Noct replied, turning back to his game. “Don’t worry- Sweets and I should win awards for our performance today,” the prince said teasingly, causing Jenny to huff with irritation. “I saved her from a jail sentence and it only cost me a little dignity- she cleaned up as a thank you present.” 

“No, the pizza was the thank you- the cleaning was so I wouldn’t die traipsing through your filth,” Jenny retorted. “And Gladdy helped with that, so it wasn’t a big deal anyway.” She smiled at Ignis, but he couldn’t return it. “Iggy,” Jenny said slowly, walking over to him and rubbing his back lightly, “what’s wrong?” 

He looked her over, surreptitiously checking for any scratches or bruises. “Are you hurt?” 

Jenny looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Um… no? Confused as to why you’re so worked up over this? Yeah.” She leaned up, placing a kiss on his lips before patting him on the shoulder. “It’s not like it’s the first time, and it won’t be the last. Like I told Noct, I’m a big girl- if you really want to help, then you should get me a get out of jail pass and a new job.”

Ignis started to say something but she had headed off into the living room and picked up her phone, which was her way of saying that as far as she was concerned, the matter was closed. However, even as he grabbed his food and moved to the couch and she snuggled against him, he found himself inwardly fuming at the thought of someone pawing at her. _They have no right,_ he thought angrily. _I’ll be damned if I let something like this happen again._

“I smell smoke,” she whispered as she rested between his legs, not looking up from her phone. “You’re thinking too hard, Iggy.” 

Tightening his grip around her waist, Ignis sighed and placed his head atop hers. “I’m irritated,” he admitted, not seeing a reason to lie to her. “This should have never happened.” He paused for a moment, then looked out at the others, noting that they were still engrossed in the game. “Maybe we should talk elsewhere.”

Jenny just nodded, then let out a loud yawn. “All right boys, we’re up- I’m gonna go bang Iggy before I pass out. Make sure you put the rest of the food in the fridge, ok? ” 

Prompto almost dropped his phone and Ignis almost fell off the couch from shock, but Gladio just let out a barking laugh. “Damn, Sweets,” he hooted, "not even a little bit of a filter, huh?” 

“Why bother?” Jenny asked with a smirk. “You guys are just gonna assume it anyway, and it’s way more fun to watch my boyfriend want to die from embarrassment.” Ignis glared at her but she just tweaked his nose, her smile a mile wide while his face was burning with embarrassment. “Besides, it’s not like you guys don’t know by now.”

“She’s right,” Noct replied. “I’m pretty sure I’ve come by your apartment and heard-“ 

“And on that note, we shall take our leave,” Ignis said firmly, dragging Jenny toward the door as she pretended to struggle. “Noct, please text me if you require anything- otherwise, goodnight to you all.” 

“Yeah, a really good night for Specs,” Gladio said teasingly as the door shut behind them. 

_ _

* * *

“That was very funny,” Ignis said dryly as we walked down the hall and waited for the elevator. “I quite enjoyed our private lives being exposed for everyone to examine.” 

I smiled and wrapped my hands around his waist, but he stiffened under my touch and I pulled back, surprised. “Wait,” I said slowly, “you’re not actually offended, are you?” 

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Ignis didn’t even look at me- he just stared straight ahead and walked into the elevator. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re referring to.”

“Cut the shit,” I retorted, hands on my hips while I glared at him. “You can go all macho on me, but when I tease you a little, you’re gonna get a bug in your ass about it? Are you serious right now?” The elevator stopped at his floor and we got out, him still not talking to me as he skulked down the hall toward his apartment. “And _now_ you’re not talking to me?”

“I hardly think the hallway is the appropriate place for this conversation,” he said flatly, placing an inordinate amount of focus on unlocking the door. “We can talk about this inside."

When the door swung open he tried to enter his apartment, but I pushed my way in first, fully agitated now. “Now we’re inside. Start talking.” However, instead of answering, Ignis rolled his eyes and shut the door. I stared at him with openmouthed shock as he proceeded to hang his coat and take off his shoes, stone silent as he walked into the kitchen. “You gotta be fucking _kidding_ me,” I snarled, throwing my hands up in the air. “You’re acting like a kid, Iggy!” 

Ignis didn’t respond as he continued to move to the coffee pot- my first thought was to walk over and smack it out of his hands, but I decided against it. “You know,” I said flatly, crossing my arms and glaring at him from the hall, “I hate this fucking place sometimes.” 

_That_ stopped him- he paused what he was doing to look at me, eyes narrowed. When he finally spoke, his tone was low and even. “Explain.” 

“I don’t fucking _understand_ people here!” I yelled, kicking the couch in frustration. As my foot connected with the sofa I let out a yelp of pain, instantly crumpling in a heap and falling to the ground. “I just wanna go home,” I whispered through my tears as I rocked back and forth, cradling my throbbing foot. “I’m sick of this shit!” 

I didn’t even realize he’d moved until I heard his voice over my shoulder. “Let me see that,” Ignis said quietly, placing his hand on mine. Not willing to accept his pity I jerked away, but he just sighed and rested his hand on my shoulder. “Jenny… I need to see if you broke anything.” 

“I don’t need your help,” I spat, trying to fight through the pain- it felt like I was seeing flashes of red every time my heart would beat. “I got this.” 

When I tried to push away from him and stand up, I let out a tiny scream. “You most certainly do _not_ , by any known definition, have this,” Ignis replied, his tone softer now. “You need help- let me help you, darling.” 

“I’m tired of everyone trying to help me!” I yelled, swatting his hands away. “I can handle things myself!” 

Ignis sighed as he placed a gentle kiss on my neck. “I know you can handle yourself.” Without another word, Ignis got up and began rummaging around the kitchen, returning after a few minutes with an ice pack and a towel. “I just want to make it easier for you,” he said quietly, pressing the compress lightly against my foot. “Will you let me do that?” 

With a sigh of reluctance, I nodded, hanging my head in defeat. No sooner than I’d acquiesced, Ignis had me in his arms and was moving toward the bedroom. “Thanks,” I grumbled into his shoulder as I held onto his neck, angry about the whole damn affair but realizing he didn’t have to help with something that was clearly my fault. "I’ll be fine. Shaun should still be up,” I said, glancing at the clock near the bed. "I’ll give him a call.”

Ignis sat on the bed, holding the compress against my feet. “If you really want to go I’ll take you back there, but if I’m to be honest… I think you should stay here.” 

“Why? You’re mad, you need space.” I shrugged, letting out a hiss at the pain that rolled through my body when I flexed my foot. “Don’t stop being mad on account of me being stupid.” 

His deep green eyes were kind as he brushed the hair from his face. “I think you and I need to talk- something has you quite upset, and I get the feeling it’s not just me,” Ignis said thoughtfully. “So I think we need to talk about it because I certainly don’t want you to leave… ever.” He rubbed my leg lightly and smiled, holding the ice against my burning foot. “So talk to me, darling- what’s going on with you? What’s got you so upset?”

I started to clam up, but he placed a kiss on my hands and I sighed. “I don’t know how to handle things here,” I said finally, slumping against the pillows. “Back home, it was easy- no one touches you without your permission, and if they did…” I let my voice trail off, but Ignis just watched, not saying a word. “Let’s just say you were well within your rights to handle it how you see fit.” I slammed my fist against the bed, closing my eyes from both the pain in my foot and the sting of humiliation- I never needed anyone to fight my battles for me. “Here, I don’t know what to do- I’m scared of fucking up, of getting in trouble and having to leave everyone… sometimes I think it’d be easier if I just left on my own cause I don’t fit anywhere,” I said morosely. “And I’m tired of it.” 

“You fit here,” Ignis said firmly, holding my hand in his. “I thank the Astrals every single day because my life is better with you in it, and I’ll be damned if some trash bin of a person dares to make you think otherwise.” He reached out and touched my cheek, giving me a sad smile. “I admit, I was angry that you didn’t inform me about the incident, but after listening to your concerns, I can start to surmise why you wouldn’t want to.” 

“No one needs to help me,” I replied, allowing myself to rest against him as he scooted up on the bed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Noct shouldn’t have to pretend to be my boyfriend to save me like I’m some helpless little bitch,” I growled. “I can fight my own fucking battles.” 

“Noct wanted to help,” Ignis said quietly, rubbing my shoulders. “As do I. I never want anything like that to happen to you- in fact, the very idea of it…” He blew out a deep breath, then gave me an apologetic smile. “Suffice it to say I could see where your justice system would have its merits.”

“How about this,” I replied tentatively, tracing my fingers along his arm, watching as Ignis closed his eyes and sighed contentedly, “how about you teach me the absolute limits of what I can get away with… and I promise to ask for help when I need it? Sound fair to you?”

He nodded, his eyes staying closed. “Just keep doing that and I believe I can agree to your terms, darling.” 

I paused, making him open one eye to stare at me. “I thought you were mad at me for the comment to the guys- what gives, Iggy?” 

“Oh, I was never mad about that,” he replied lightly, leaning over and gently nibbling my bottom lip. “I was only pretending in the hopes of getting make-up sex.” Then he looked down at my foot and shook his head. “But you _had_ to go and break yourself,” he teased, running his fingers along my spine. “It’s a shame, really- I’m quite sure you could’ve gotten me over my irritation in record time.”

“You know, I think you’re right,” I mused, threading my fingers in his hair and twirling the strands around my fingers. “Care to put it to the test?”

He looked at me and shook his head. “I’m afraid you’ve taken yourself out of the running- we’ll have to settle this matter some other time, I’m afraid.” 

“You’re the strategist,” I said, pulling him against me and trailing soft kisses along his jawline as I slid my hand inside his pants. “I’m sure you’ll think of something."

“I suppose,” he purred as he climbed on top of me, smiling as he slid my shirt above my head. “After all… I do have a decent amount of motivation.” As he removed my shirt, a chill ran across my exposed skin and I gasped, flexing my foot in the process. Ignis frowned as he unbuttoned his shirt, eying me critically. “Somehow, I think this might prove to be a bad idea, love. Maybe we should wait until another time.” 

“The hell you say,” I barked, sliding my hands up his stomach. “You are many things, Ignis Scientia, but a tease is not one of them.” He smirked as he took off his shirt, but I just crossed my arms in front of my bare chest. “I broke myself- the least you could do is put out.”

Ignis let out a loud laugh before leaning over to place a kiss on my collarbone, smiling as I drew my arms around him. “And who’s fault is it that you threw a tantrum when you didn’t get your way?”

“Yours,” I said, pouting until he nipped my bottom lip. “I thought you were supposed to give me everything I wanted,” I teased, running my fingernails along his scalp. 

“And I always will,” he murmured, trailing his fingertips lightly along my side. “But I never said it would happen the instant you demanded it- I have to keep you on your toes somehow, don’t I?” Ignis raised his eyes to mine and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the gorgeous man staring back at me. “I love you,” he said as he twirled a strand of my hair around his finger. “And as far as I’m concerned, your place is right here… with me.” 

“That’s good,” I replied, leaning forward and pressing my lips to his. “Because here is exactly where I want to be.” 


	5. Mix thoroughly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaun, Ignis, and Gladio go out for the evening

_ _

* * *

If there was one thing Shaun Hancock took pride in, it was the fact that he could adapt to any situation, no matter the circumstances.

To be fair, this was mostly due to the nature of his family- for a while, it seemed like the world was threatening to unravel itself every week, and the only thing standing between peace and a cataclysmic disaster were his mother and aunts. However, much to everyone’s relief, life had seemed to sort itself out after a moment, leaving everyone with a tentative sense of calm- times like these never seemed to last, so it was sort of an unspoken rule to enjoy the quiet while it lasted. But soon, the quiet became the norm, so Shaun did what he always did- he adapted. Trading the rough and tumble town of Goodneighbor for the lights of Diamond City as soon as he turned eighteen, Shaun was no stranger to spending many a night in his ramshackle apartment, falling asleep after counting the pinpricks of light streaming in from the leaky ceiling. And for the last ten years, the young man had grown to appreciate the calm and steady routine of his life, content to let the days blend into a comfortable, if somewhat monotonous, haze. 

But after living in Insomnia with his sister for a year, Shaun found himself dusting off all those skills he’d honed to a sharp edge throughout his childhood. _Stay alert and study everything... watch what they do so you can do it better_. So, while Jenny was out with her friends and living a carefree life, Shaun was busy trying to find a way to acclimate to a world that he barely knew… alone. When they arrived, he’d gotten a job at the Citadel garage (he suspected his aunt had pulled some strings, but he wasn’t complaining about it too much) and the former detective worked hard and kept his head down, content to be anonymous and do his job- while the cars were different than the ones he used to see littered across the Commonwealth, there’d never been too much he couldn’t figure out once he saw what was under the hood, and these machines were no exception. 

The alarm on his phone beeped, letting him know that he'd finally reached the end of his shift. He wasn't particularly in a hurry to get home- since Jenny was hanging out with Noct and Prompto, he was on his own for dinner that evening. Though he’d been the outgoing and affable detective in Diamond City, Shaun found it easier to keep to himself out here- it made it easier to watch and learn how to blend in when he didn't have to worry about exposure. Initially, Shaun was a bundle of nerves- every interaction felt like an interrogation, every chat like a prelude to a confession. But soon, just as they had before, the days began to flow into a comfortable rhythm, and Shaun began to embrace them. He found it strangely comforting to be consigned to anonymity, never being stopped in the street by a curious onlooker who wanted to say thank you or to bitch about something his parents had done. Here, he wasn’t the son of John and Grace Hancock, heroes of the Commonwealth- he was simply Shaun, the quiet mechanic who could fix just about anything you set in front of him, or the handsome young man who never had a bad word to say about anyone (except maybe his sister, but that was usually justified) and would always stop to help if you needed it.

In the beginning, news like this would have made him long for his old life back home, where getting off work meant that he could grab a beer with Nick or shoot the shit with Nat, watching her pretend not to be interested in his flirtatious banter. He often tried to tell himself that he didn't miss his old life all that much, but he'd find himself feeling a little wistful when he went to the store and nothing was familiar. He used to read the paper, but he quickly stopped picking it up- the sentences felt wrong and soulless when they weren't Nat's, and he had to stop himself from wishing he could send the reporter a message. Some nights, as he lay alone in his bed, he would smile to himself as he remembered her voice and it's smoky timbre as she teased him about something or other. But with enough time and distance, Shaun had grown to embrace his new life- admittedly, he still wasn't a fan of being alone, but with no one around to entertain, he was content to head home and settle on the sofa with a beer and chase away the silence with some inane program on TV. _Funny how times change,_ Shaun thought to himself as he sent his sister a snarky reply, shoving the phone back into his pocket. _I guess it goes to show that with enough time, you can get used to just about anything._

As he finished sweeping the floor and checking things over, he chuckled when he noticed the two men hanging in the back of the garage, engrossed in a conversation that he couldn’t quite hear. Shaking his head, Shaun wiped his hands on his coveralls, walking over to Ignis and Gladio, two of the few people in Insomnia he ever engaged in more than a casual conversation with. Though they were Jenny’s friends first, he’d grown to be fairly friendly with the bodyguard- while he was seven years older than Gladio and eight years older than Ignis, he had found that the two men were more mature than most of the denizens of Diamond City by leaps and bounds. True, they were still a bit green behind the ears, but that had nothing to do with age- by the age of twenty-nine, Shaun had lived through more than most people would in three lifetimes, but he’d gladly trade that life experience for a little bit of naivety.

“Sup,” he said casually, causing the two men to look up from their conversation. “What brings you guys down here this evening?”

Gladio grinned, jerking a thumb at Ignis. “Trying to get Specs to live a little- Sweets and the gang are headed to the movies, so I’m trying to convince him to head to the bar with me. Figured I could use you as a backup since I know you’d be down for a good drink… right?” 

“I just don’t see the point,” Ignis huffed. “Unlike you two, I am not scouring every nook and cranny for someone to spend my nights with.” The advisor took off his glasses and began cleaning them against his shirt, rolling his eyes at his friend. "I’m perfectly content to go home and relax until Jenny comes back, thank you very much.”

At that, Shaun let out a snort, draping his arm over the tall young man. “See, that’s where I might beg to differ.” Shaun winked at Gladio, who grinned. “You see, every time you say that I find you at my apartment cleaning or cooking something- last I checked, that’s not relaxing, Specs.” 

“We all have different definitions of the word.” Though Ignis sounded huffy, Shaun could tell he was only pretending to be put out with him- he let out a laugh, causing the advisor to roll his eyes. “And _must_ we go out? We could retire to one of our places, watch TV…”

“We can do that anytime,” Gladio wheedled, draping a meaty arm over Ignis’s other shoulder. “However, the three of us being off work at the same time, with both Noct and Sweets tied up for hours? _That_ , my friends, is divine intervention right there. _That_ is the world telling us, without a shadow of a doubt, that we need to get that sullen old man and this stuffy young one to the nearest club and ply them both full of the best drinks we can afford… right, Shaun?” 

“The sullen old man would not be opposed to such wonderful things,” Shaun replied, punching Gladio lightly in the arm. “However, I need to get home first and shower- I’m not sure that the smell of engine grease is a turn-on.” 

“You’d be surprised,” Gladio quipped, causing Ignis to roll his eyes again. “Anyway, that’s cool- we’ll chill out while you get ready. Got your car with you?”

“Always,” Shaun replied, flashing that brilliant lopsided grin of his. “C’mon- those drinks won’t order themselves, you know. ” The three men headed to the bright blue sedan in the back bay of the garage, and Shaun turned to Ignis, dangling the keys from the Chocobo keychain Jenny had given him from his hand. “Feel like driving, Specs?” 

“With pleasure,” Ignis replied, promptly taking the keys from Shaun’s hand and heading to the driver’s seat. “Considering you drive in a manner that constantly makes me think I’m going to die an early death, I’m happy to do anything that removes you from behind the wheel, Shaun.”

“If I hadn’t just learned how to drive this year, I might be offended,” Shaun said lightly, racing for the passenger's side of the car. “Just treat her gentle,” he said, patting the dashboard and settling back in the seat, closing his eyes. “She’s a special lady.” 

“This car is a heap, dude,” Gladio retorted as he squeezed in the back seat, scowling as he tossed an empty food wrapper to the floor. “I’m surprised the thing even runs!” 

“Don’t listen to those mean old men,” Shaun cooed, stroking the door. “They just don’t understand you, that’s all."

Gladio snorted and Shaun laughed, settling back in his seat as Ignis drove through the streets of Insomnia. Though he didn’t tend to get attached to many things, Shaun was fiercely proud of his car. It was his first real purchase after arriving in Insomnia, though not everyone agreed with his purchase. In fact, Jenny’s jaw had dropped in openmouthed shock when she saw the car, stating that there was no way he’d willingly spent any amount of money on the rusting bucket of bolts. Instead of being offended, Shaun had just smiled, patting his sister on the arm and saying she didn’t see the true beauty of the car just yet, and she’d be eating her words soon enough. Soon, it had become his pet project, a way to spend the time instead of looking through old photos of friends he wouldn’t get to see for god knows how long. So, while Jenny went out and lived her life, Shaun would spend his evenings in the garage tinkering with the old machine, slowly coaxing it back to life and using the quiet to his advantage, pouring all of his sadness into the repairs and telling the car all of the secrets no one in this world could ever know. 

It was during these sessions he’d gotten to know Gladio better- the bodyguard had found him in the garage one evening, playing an old message from Nat when he thought no one was around. To his credit, Gladio didn’t mention the message, and if the warrior noticed the slight sheen in Shaun’s eyes as he put the tape away, he never said a word about it. What he did do, however, was walk over to the car and pat the hood, noting that his dad used to have a similar model when they were younger. Grateful for the distraction, Shaun had just laughed, saying it wouldn’t surprise him if this was the same damn car, and if that was the case then he hoped him or Iris hadn’t been made in the backseat. After that, the two men would often sit around in the evenings and work on the car together, sharing stories over beers until hours had gotten away from them. Soon, these sessions gradually changed locations- what once was only a random evening in the garage turned into lunches at the nearby coffee shop, which turned into gatherings at the local bar, which led to parties around the Citadel, which led to random evenings at home, watching TV and playing games until the wee hours of the morning. Eventually, Ignis began joining them for lunch, even if Gladio did have to strong-arm the man into taking a break. 

During their first few outings, the advisor was uneasy with Shaun, constantly fidgeting and reverting to an even more stilted and formal manner of speaking than usual. Shaun felt slightly bad about the poor man's discomfort, but he’d let him fret for a little while at Gladio’s urging. After this had gone on for two lunches, Shaun finally decided to put Ignis out of his misery by telling him that while he wasn't fond of it, he knew how he felt about his sister. He’d also made it a point to tell the man that while he knew exactly what was going on with the two of them, he didn't need to hear it and he’d appreciate it if they kept the noise down. This had made Gladio spit out his soda, and the highly embarrassed advisor had simply hung his head as he went to get towels to clean the table. Laughing, the two men allowed Ignis to regain some of his dignity by shifting the attention away from him and onto one of Shaun’s many stories about his former life that always seemed so fascinating to everyone else. Eventually, Shaun settled into a new routine, enjoying both the company of his new friends and the joys of a carefree youth he’d never gotten to experience before. 

As they approached Shaun’s apartment, the young man wondered if this might have been the reason his aunt had decided it was a good idea for him to come along with his sister. True, he’d always been a friendly person, and he’d had no shortage of friends back home- he’d never wanted for a date, never spent too long alone if he didn’t want to, and never lacked for company, be it from family or friends. But, he realized as he heard the two men bickering beside him, he’d never had a life where there was no responsibility hanging over his head- for the first time, he was just Shaun, and the thought delighted and terrified him in equal measure. 

“Hurry up, pretty boy,” Gladio teased, heading to the fridge and grabbing himself something to drink. “You take too long and we’re gonna have to pry Specs out the kitchen.” 

“Can’t have that,” Shaun replied, laughing as he made his way to his room.   


_ _

* * *

Ignis watched his friends as they made their way to the dance floor, feeling slightly light-headed as he rested his head against the back of the booth. _I hate to admit it, but it’s rather nice to be out and about,_ he thought begrudgingly as he stared at his drink. _At least those two seem to be having a good time._ He let out a deep chuckle as Shaun chatted up the waitress at the bar, clearly in his element as the blonde let out a high-pitched laugh, leaning closer to the curly-haired man and resting her hand on his arm. Not to be outdone, Gladio was on the other side of Shaun, flirting intensely with a tall brunette and enjoying every minute of it. _However, I can say with absolute certainty that I’m glad I'm not single_ , Ignis thought happily, watching with deep amusement as Shaun gave the waitress a beaming smile and put his phone away, signifying that he’d successfully made off with her contact information. Gladio, on the other hand, had trotted off to the dance floor with the woman, and Ignis soon lost sight of his friend in the sea of writhing bodies.

“He’s good,” Shaun said with approval as he slid into the seat next to Ignis, setting a drink in front of him. Ignis nodded in appreciation and clinked glasses, causing Shaun to grin madly. “Look at you- I can’t believe we got you out of the house. I thought for sure you were gonna dig your heels in the dirt and sit at the door like a lost puppy waiting on your owners.” 

“I’m _hardly_ that bad,” Ignis retorted, letting out a huff as Shaun whistled a jaunty little tune, raising his glass to Gladio on the dance floor. “I just prefer to spend my time in other ways.” 

“Yeah, like in our kitchen,” Shaun quipped, then looked thoughtful for a moment before taking a sip of his drink. “Say… why do you always try baking those little pastries, Specs? It’s kinda like an obsession for you.”

Ignis sighed, running a hand over his head. “You know what happened to Noct, correct?”

Shaun nodded. “Bits and pieces. He got… hurt when he was a kid, right? And that Luna girl he’s always writing to was the one that got him back on his feet?”

“There’s quite a bit more to it, but yes, that about sums it up,” Ignis replied, smiling into his glass. "When he was recovering, he had a special treat in Tenebrae, one he particularly enjoyed. But, of course, he could never remember the name or what was in it, so…”

“So you’ve been trying to make it for him all this time,” Shaun finished, looking to the advisor for confirmation. When Ignis nodded, the young man smiled and shook his head. “You know, sometimes I wish I could hate you… but you’re a pretty decent man, Specs.” He sat quietly for a moment, finishing his drink and staring out over the dance floor before speaking again. “It’s not just a job for you, is it? You really care about Noct, don’t you?”

“I do,” Ignis replied with no hesitation. “I serve him without question, but he’s also my friend. I… just want to see him happy,” Ignis admitted. “Before Jenny came, the only time he’d ever really come out of his shell was when Prompto was around- though he teases her without end, I daresay he cares about her almost as much as I do.” 

“That surprising?” Shaun asked, winking at the bartender and signaling for another round. “Every time I see him, he seems fine- what gives?”

“Actually, it's rather surprising.” Ignis stared at his drink, debating how much he should tell the man. “The prince was never the same after the incident,” he said finally, taking the drink the bartender sat in front of him. “When Jenny came back, it was… it was like the Noct I used to know all those years ago returned, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say she gave him a piece of himself back.” He turned to Shaun, resting his elbows on the table and staring intently at the young man as he held his drink in his hand. “Does that make any sense at all, or am I just feeling the effects of these drinks?”

"Makes perfect sense to me," Shaun replied, taking a sip from his glass. "Sometimes you just need friends to help you work through things- there's nothing wrong with that."

"Thanks," Ignis replied, running his finger across the rim of his glass. Suddenly noticing that his friend looked remarkably sober despite the number of drinks they’d consumed across the evening, Ignis frowned. “How are you still upright, Shaun?"

“Genetics.” Shaun drained the last of his glass and settled back in the booth, resting his long arms across the back of it. “Specs,” he said carefully, “has Shadow ever told you the deal with me?” 

Ignis thought about it for a moment, then realized the man was right- Jenny had never really gone into detail about much regarding her brother. “You know,” he replied, staring up at the ceiling in thought, “I don’t believe she has, but then again, it was likely because she wanted to respect your privacy?”

“Figures- this would be the one time she keeps her mouth shut,” Shaun muttered, looking down at his empty glass. “So,” he said slowly, looking as if he was debating how much he should tell the man, “I could tell you, but I guarantee that it’s gonna take a lot more drinks than this to make it go down something even remotely resembling easy.”

“Wait, are we sharing stories?” Gladio asked, sliding in next to Ignis and stealing the last of the advisor's drink. “What’s so crazy that you think you gotta get Specs drunk to hear it? And, let me just say, if this is gonna be a thing, then I am _so_ down for trying.” 

“I must say, I’m surprised that you came back to us,” Ignis replied, crossing his arms as Gladio drained the contents of the glass. “I was almost positive that we wouldn’t be seeing you again for the rest of the night.”

Gladio just smiled, folding his arms behind his head. “Contrary to popular belief, I am a gentleman.” The snickers from Ignis and Shaun only made the warrior roll his eyes. “Decided to play this one a little differently, that’s all.” 

“He means she blew him off,” Shaun teased, making Ignis laugh. “Color me surprised- I didn’t think that could happen.” He put a finger to his lips, cutting his eyes to the advisor. “I better check and make sure the world isn’t ending.” 

“Haha- you guys are the worst,” Gladio grumbled, flagging down the bartender and signaling for three more drinks. “This is the last time I try to be a good friend- next time I’m leaving you bastards high and dry at the first opportunity.” 

“Your dedication is amazing,” Ignis replied dryly, taking the drink from the waitress with a polite smile. “And to answer your question, Shaun, I am interested in hearing the story, though I’m confused as to why you think you need to be inebriated to tell it.” 

“Oh, the drinks aren’t for me,” Shaun replied blithely, downing his drink in one fluid motion and giving Ignis an affable smile. “They’re for you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact- Shaun wasn't really supposed to figure into this series. When I think about that, I just shake my head- I can't imagine the story without him. (This statement will make so much more sense in part 3!)


	6. Bake at the appropriate temperature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shaun talks to Ignis and Gladio; Ignis doesn't approach things in the right way

_ _

* * *

Shaun watched the two men on his couch, their eyes glassy with shock and drink. He hadn’t lied when he said that the advisor would need more than the watered-down drinks they’d tossed back at the bar- by the time he’d launched into his tale, Ignis had gone still as a stone, only moving to accept the drink that Shaun had poured him. “Specs,” Shaun said after he finished his story, watching the young man closely and crossing his fingers that he hadn’t had a stroke, “you all right over there?”

“So you mean to tell me,” Ignis said slowly, sipping his drink and holding the glass as if it were the only thing keeping him afloat, “that your mother is over two-hundred and fifty years old? And she can absorb… what was it again?”

“Radiation,” Shaun replied, wondering just what had sunk in if this was the part of the story that was confusing the poor guy, then stared at his glass as he leaned against the counter. “Dad always jokes that she’s lucky he has a thing for older women.” 

“And your dad,” Ignis continued, raising his eyes to Shaun and looking as if he was grasping at straws, “looks the way he does because of an experimental drug? And he’s immune to that substance as well?”

“Yeah. And I’m a synth,” Shaun said flatly, wincing at the words as they left his lips. “No other way to put it- I’m nothing but a fake ass human.” He sighed, running his hand through his long curls. “I gotta admit, it was nicer when no one knew that part, at least- not my favorite part of the story.”

“But…” Ignis slurred, blinking as he struggled to focus on what Shaun was saying. “What does that mean?”

Shaun laughed mirthlessly, downing the last of his drink in one gulp. As the resentment twisted in his chest, he decided that a glass wasn’t going to cut it anymore- he took a swig directly from the bottle. “It means I’m not even a person,” he said bitterly. “I’m a goddamn mess of wires wrapped in a human-shaped package… My sis is a medical miracle and I’m the result of the original me fucking around with science and his DNA. And, if you want to add an extra helping of fucked up to the equation, the original Shaun got snatched up by a bunch of crackpots when he was a baby and ended up turning into a dictator. So in addition to having a constant existential crisis, I’m also always dealing with the nagging suspicion I’m just gonna turn into a goddamn zealot at a moment’s notice.” He gave the two men in front of him a bitter smile. “Obviously when it comes to nature versus nurture, I’m firmly on the nurture side of the fence- jury’s still out, though.” 

“Why did you never tell us this?” Ignis asked quietly, drumming his fingers on the edge of his seat. “We would have-“

“Done what? Run screaming for the hills? Took me apart to see how I work?” Shaun shook his head. “No fucking thank you- it’s bad enough I gotta look at my mom every goddamn day and know I’m not her real kid. I like it better when people don’t know the truth, but…” his voice trailed off, and he took another gulp of whiskey. “If you’re gonna be family one day, you should probably know the whole story. Better from me than from someone else, right?” 

Gladio finally spoke up, draining the contents of his glass and getting up from his seat. “Quit your bitching,” he said firmly, clapping Shaun on the shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen. “You’re still the same old man we always knew… just looks like you might be a little tougher to take down than I thought.” To Shaun’s delight, the warrior smiled, raising his glass in solidarity. “That doesn’t mean I’m not gonna try, though.”

“Thanks,” Shaun said gruffly as he stared at the floor, not expecting the support from the younger man. “I’m not used to people being this understanding when they find out their friend is a genetically-modified bucket of bolts- it’s kind of a sore subject back home.” 

Ignis, however, was still mulling things over in his brain- the advisor stared up at the ceiling, no doubt trying to gather his thoughts. “What I don’t understand,” he mused as he drummed his finger against the tacky sofa, “is why your aunt… who can control time and travel from reality to reality, apparently, chose to bring Jenny here in the first place. While I am eternally grateful,” he said quickly, his normally graceful movements now halting and jerky from too much alcohol, “I just don’t understand- why us? Why would she send you and your sister a world away- what does she know that we don’t?”

“Everything,” Shaun said simply, causing Ignis’s eyes to focus on him for a moment. The young man looked around the room, hoping he wasn’t saying too much and that his aunt wasn’t going to pop out the woodwork at any moment, but he decided to press on anyway. “I’d say she’s seen a lot more than we’ve ever even dreamed of. She usually can’t change things directly, but she can… nudge ‘em along, you know.”

Suddenly Gladio raised his head, his lips set in a grim line. “Sounds like she’s the one my dad was talking about,” he said flatly. “I overheard my dad talking about a woman that warned them about Noct that day- didn’t put much thought into it then, but now…” he looked at Shaun, then tented his hands. “Could she have stopped it? Could she have saved him that day?” 

“I doubt it,” Shaun said, settling down on the floor. “Trust me, if she could’ve done things like that, my life would’ve been a lot different, . I asked her about it once,” he said sadly, looking at his feet. “I asked if she could’ve saved me, the _real_ me…so my mom wouldn’t have to settle for a fake son.” The words were bitter in his mouth, but he closed his eyes, determined to push through it. “She just held me and said that some things have to happen and that I was just as real as anyone else. But I don’t know,” Shaun mumbled, picking at the carpet and refusing to look at his friends, “it doesn’t feel that way sometimes."

“Your aunt is right,” Ignis said quietly, causing Shaun’s head to snap to the advisor. His green eyes, while still glazed with liquor, were kind, not full of the judgment or hatred he’d often seen when he told someone the truth. “You are a good and honorable man, Shaun _._ Your beginnings didn’t dictate that- it was what you did since that did.” He tried to reach for Shaun, but he missed, swiping at the floor instead. “And I’d be honored to call you my brother one day, Shaun.”

Shaun gave the advisor a tentative smile. “That’s right nice of you, Specs, but you sure you still want in with this crazy family after what I just told you? It’s not too late to cut bait and run.” 

Gladio snorted. “Like we’d let him do that.” Shaun laughed, but Gladio just took another gulp of his drink. “So… what do we do about Sweets? Do we tell her we know all her dirty laundry or are we sworn to secrecy or something?” 

Ignis swayed against the couch for a moment, then gave up and sank into the cushions. “I’m just sorry you’ve had to go through such hardships.” He looked up at Shaun with such a remorseful look that the young man had to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from laughing. “I want to tell Jenny… do I need to tell Jenny I know this now? By the _six_ , I don’t want to lie to her-”

“I’d keep quiet until she tells you.” Then Shaun shook his head, trying to hide his embarrassment. “And thanks… it sorta means a lot that you guys know and didn’t break out the pitchforks on me.”

“Awww, you do like us,” Gladio teased, his head buried in the sofa cushions. “Good to know I don’t have to worry about you secretly hauling Iggy off somewhere to have a-“ Though he didn’t lift his head, he raised one hand and made air quotes. “- _talk_.” 

“Nah, I got too used to breakfast,” Shaun said teasingly. “Be a shame to give that up for something stupid like my sister’s honor- what kind of guy do you think I am?” 

“An irritating one,” Ignis said dryly, getting up unsteadily from the sofa and wobbling for a moment before grabbing the arm for balance. “On that note, the room is spinning rather rapidly, so I am going to retire for the evening- I bid you, dear gentlemen, good night, and I pray to the Astrals I don’t have a hangover in the morning.” He let go of the couch and teetered for a moment before heading off to Jenny’s room, slamming the door shut behind him. 

Shaun just stared after Ignis and laughed- in the short time they’d been in Insomnia, the advisor had made himself quite at home in their apartment, and to his surprise, Shaun found that he didn’t mind at all. Resting back against the floor, he turned his head to Gladio, who was still sprawled out on the couch. “We good?” Shaun asked, still somewhat on edge about his earlier confession. 

“I don’t care how turbocharged you are- I can still kick your ass, robot boy,” Gladio mumbled, his face still buried in the sofa. 

“You know,” Shaun said quietly, closing his eyes and settling down on the floor, feeling better than he had in a long time, “I’m pretty sure you could, Gladio.” 

_ _

* * *

As he lay face-down in the bed, Ignis could’ve sworn that the room was spinning. Groaning, he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that one day he would have the strength to pry himself from the mattress. _Never again_ , he moaned as he tried to burrow into the mattress. _The two of them can go leap off a bloody cliff before I ever agree to do something this stupid again._

After a few moments of blessed silence, Ignis heard the door creak open and winced at the influx of light streaming into the room. “Iggy,” Jenny called out softly as she padded to the bed, “are you all right?”

“No,” he whined as he pressed his face into the pillow. “I am drunk… and it _hurts_.” As Jenny settled on the bed, Ignis winced and made his way over to her, nestling his head in her lap and letting out a contented sigh as she began stroking his hair. “But _that_ … that feels _amazing_. Thank you.” Closing his eyes, he awkwardly squeezed her waist. “You,” he croaked, “are the most wonderful woman alive, love.”

“Tell me that when you’re sober,” Jenny teased, letting the soft strands of her hair tickle his face as she leaned over to place a kiss on his head. “Looks like you did a number on yourself tonight- how much did you guys drink, anyway? Gladdy is on the couch and Shaun is on the floor out there.” He shrugged helplessly and Jenny laughed, gently rubbing his back. “Do I even want to know what you guys got up to this evening?” 

“Not really,” he mumbled. “Just glad you’re here now.” Ignis was struggling to find more words, but before he could speak, Jenny began gently shifting him over. “No,” he whined, tightening his grip around her waist. “Don’t leave, please.” 

“I’m only going to get you some medicine and some water,” she said softly, gently unwinding his arms. “You’re gonna feel like absolute shit in the morning if I don’t. Trust me- if there’s one thing we’ve learned to manage in our house, it’s a hangover.” 

“I already feel terrible,” he grumbled, pressing his head into her lap. “At least now I feel terrible with you… I can wait a little longer for everything else.” 

“Or,” she said as she slid out of his grasp and lowered him to the bed, “you could let me do what I need to do and come back.” Ignis tried to protest, but she just kissed him again. “I’ll be right back, I promise. Once you do this little thing for me, then I’m all yours, Iggy- one human pillow, coming up.”

With that, Jenny left the room and shut the door behind her, leaving the drunken advisor alone with his thoughts. He closed his eyes and tried to rest, but all he could think of was how hollow the room felt without her. Reaching out and running his hand over her side of the bed, Ignis sighed to himself as he stared at the empty space. _Why is this not my bed,_ he mused, closing his eyes and smiling at the memory of how Jenny looked while she slept next to him. _Why haven’t I told her what I want yet?_

 _Because you’re a bloody coward,_ he chastised himself, draping a hand over his eyes. _You know what you should be doing, yet you insist on dragging your feet at every turn. You’re going to keep waiting for that perfect moment and it’s never going to come. Keep it up and you’re going to wait too long, Ignis Scientia… just you watch._

A cold shudder ran through him at the thought. After all this time, was it possible that she wouldn’t wait for him? _We have been together for almost four years,_ he mused, anxiously running his hands through his hair. _I can’t mess this up… not now._

_ _

* * *

As I closed the door behind me, I shook my head at the two men sprawled out in the living room. “What the hell happened here?” I asked, heading into the kitchen to get poor Ignis a glass of water. “Nerd, I know this had to be your doing- what did you do?”

“I’m just as much a victim as they are,” Shaun replied from the floor. “We tried hard, but there were too many drinks… they won the battle, but we’ll win the war,” he slurred. “Right, Gladio?”

“Mrgggh,” the warrior mumbled, not even moving from his place on the couch.

Staring at the two of them in disbelief, I got two more glasses from the cabinet. “Better make that three glasses, then. Sheesh, Nerd… I thought you were here to take care of me.”

“You’re a big girl… you got this.” Lazily, he held up a thumb and flopped it in my general direction before letting it crash to the floor. “I believe in you, Shadow.”

“Believe in you,” Gladio repeated, waving a hand at me. “All the way.”

Realizing that these fools were well on their way towards the hangover of the century, I grabbed the bottle of aspirin from the cabinet. “Take these,” I ordered, shoving him upright and handing him the glass of water. “No arguments and drink it all- when you finish, I’ll get you another.”

“You’re bossy when there’s two of you,” Gladio slurred, narrowing his eyes at me. “I dunno if I like these you’s- they’re kinda mean.” He swatted at the air to my right, his massive paw of a hand making my hair shift in the resulting breeze. “Why are you warping on me,” he complained as his hand hit the couch. “Sit still, Sweets.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I groaned, slamming two pills in his hand. “Take these and try not to die, Gladdy.” Then I got up from the couch and settled next to my brother on the floor, handing him a glass of water. “You are a right asshole,” I hissed. “You know they can’t keep pace with you, Shaun!” 

“They didn’t- I just like harder shit,” he replied without opening his eyes. “Booze here is a little better than back home.” He rolled over and placed a hand on my shoulder, his brown eyes glassy as he stared at me. “Shadow… I’ve got something to tell you. C’mere... it’s important!” He motioned for me to come closer and I sighed, closing my eyes and preparing myself for whatever foolishness my brother had in store for me. Gripping my arm, he pulled me closer and whispered in my ear, his breath reeking of alcohol, “I’m fucked up.” 

“Yeah… I guessed.” I shoved the glass in one hand and the pills in the other. “You know the drill, Nerd- how I ended up playing nurse to three grown-ass men is boggling my mind right now.”

“Cause… I told the truth,” he said quietly, popping the pills in his mouth and downing the water before flopping back to the floor. “They know.” 

“He’s a robot man,” Gladio mumbled from the couch, having let the cup fall to the floor and planted his face back into the cushions. “But we don’t have to worry- I can still kick his ass.”

“Oh,” I said quietly, suddenly understanding the reason for the impromptu drink deluge. Considering the state of the three men in the apartment, I couldn’t tell if the conversation had gone well or poorly. “Everything all right?” 

“Still an old man,” Gladio replied, still face-down as he gestured to Shaun on the floor. “S’coo- don’t care.” 

“Thanks, Gladdy,” I said as I got to my feet, stretching and helping Shaun to his feet. “That’s two of you taken care of,” I replied as I got the blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Gladio’s bulky form. “Only one more to go,” I said as I looked at my room and smiled at a wobbly-looking Ignis leaning against the doorframe. “Can you get back to your room, Nerd?” 

“Yeah, I got it,” Shaun replied, yawning and waving at Ignis. “Glad to see you aren’t dead, Specs.” Ignis snorted in response and Shaun grinned, holding a hand to his temple. “All right, I’m out… go save the advisor, doc… he looks kinda green.” 

“Gee, I wonder why,” I retorted before smiling at Ignis. “But go on, hurry up and get to bed before I decide to raise every shade in this place and put your alarm clock right next to your ear, you degenerate asshole.”

“I learned from the best,” Shaun replied as he shuffled off toward his room.

_ _

* * *

“Iggy, why are you up,” Jenny asked as she made her way over to him, the glass of water in her hand and a soft smile on her face. “I told you I was coming back with stuff for your head- you didn’t have to get up.” 

_I was scared you’d left._ “I thought I’d see what was keeping you…it seems as if I’m not the only recipient of your tender care this evening.” Careful not to move his head too much, he gestured back toward the room. “Shall we?” 

“Soon as you take this,” she replied, handing him the cup and a few tablets. “Since you’re up, may as well do it now.”

“Will it get you back to me faster?” She gave him a withering look and he chuckled, wincing at the resulting motion. “Fine… I submit myself to your care.” Ignis popped the pills into his mouth and greedily drank the water, surprised at how parched he was- once again, it would appear that she did know more about this than he’d initially thought. “Now that you’ve successfully fussed over me,” he said with a smile as he handed her the glass, “can I request the pleasure of your company now?”

“You can… and you’ll get it as soon as I clean up these dishes and get you some more water.” He pouted, but it did not affect his tiny nurse- Jenny just put a hand on her hip and pointed toward the bedroom. “The sooner you get back in there and dressed for bed, the sooner I get to come back in there with you.” When he didn’t move, she laughed and shooed him toward the bed, taking off his dress shirt and placing it over the chair. “You can’t sleep in that and you know it, Iggy.” 

“It was too much work to take it off,” he mumbled, closing his eyes and trying to focus on the sensation of her hands on his warm skin. “Besides if I did, then you couldn’t take it off for me.” 

“Oh, so that was your game,” she teased as she unbuckled his pants and giggling as he placed a few uncoordinated kisses on her neck. “You decided to get piss drunk so I would have to undress you and get you to bed?” 

“Got it in one,” he replied, eyes closed as she helped him step out of his pants and guided him to the bed. When she had him settled on the mattress she started to walk away, but he reached out for her, resting his hand on her arm. “Don’t leave,” he said, pulling her into his lap and burying his face in her chest. “I’m so sorry you have to do this for me.”

“What, this?” Jenny laughed. “You’re hardly the first person to go out and have too much to drink, Iggy. Don’t worry,” she said as she placed a kiss on his forehead, "I fully suspect you’re going to get the chance to repay the favor one day.” 

Looking up into her face, Ignis was mesmerized. Her green eyes weren’t angry at all- they were so full of kindness and warmth that Ignis couldn’t figure out what he’d done to have someone look at him that way. The soft red curls were loose around her face, billowing out into a fluffy red wave that he couldn’t stop himself from touching. As he held her in his arms, the corners of her mouth turned up into a soft smile and Ignis felt the words tumble out of his lips before he could stop himself. “Marry me.”

The slight widening of her eyes was the only indicator that he’d even spoken. Jenny looked at him for a moment, no doubt trying to process what he’d just said. Finally, she blinked, giving him a hard stare as her grip tightened around his shoulder. “Huh?”

“Marry me,” he repeated, feeling more confident this time. Ignis brought her hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss along her knuckles. “I want to marry you, Jenny Hancock.”

“I…” Jenny paused for a moment but then she sighed, brushing a hair out of her face before giving him a sad little smile. “Ask me again when you’re sober, Iggy.” 

“It won’t change,” he insisted, holding her even tighter. Despite the closeness, he felt like she was pulling away from him and he wanted to do something, anything to close the distance between them. “I love you.” 

“I know,” she said quietly, cupping his face in her hands and resting her lips against his in a soft, lingering kiss. “But if that’s what you really want, you can’t ask me like this- it’s not right.”

“But…” Ignis stammered, the words that were on the tip of his tongue flying away like petals on the breeze. “I…” 

“Trust me, if you make me give you an answer now, you won’t like what I have to say, cause even though I love you with all my heart, Ignis Scientia... I love myself more.” As he sat there, dumbfounded, Jenny got up and placed another kiss on the top of his head. “But if you want to try that again sometime… then I’ll be here.”

And with that she left the room, leaving Ignis alone and wondering just how he’d managed to fuck this whole thing up so badly.


	7. Let it cool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis realizes his mistake; Jenny gets some advice

_ _

* * *

The next morning, Ignis woke up to a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach and an empty bed. _Please tell me that didn’t happen last night,_ he thought as he reached for his glasses. _Please tell me I didn’t just ruin my life in one evening._ His worries only grew when he grabbed his phone, seeing a text from Jenny that simply said ‘ _had some errands to run this morning and I didn’t want to disturb you- coffee is in the kitchen.’_

Groaning and flopping against the bed, Ignis put a hand over his eyes. The text cemented it- Jenny was definitely mad. Any other time she’d wake him up before she left, never failing to tease him about not having the day off like she did- leaving without telling him was unlike her. _I have to fix this_ , he thought as he got out of bed and made his way to the closet. As he stared at the many dress shirts he had hanging amongst her clothes, he realized that there was almost just as much of his stuff in here as there was at his place. _It’s just easier,_ she’d said one day. _And if it gets me to keep you with me a few minutes longer in the morning, then I’ll happily give up the closet space._

Plucking one of the dress shirts from the rack and searching through the clothes for a pair of pants, Ignis just smiled to himself and gently shook his head. In the end, she’d given up more than just closet space- eventually, he’d come to be the proud recipient of his own drawer in her dresser, a toothbrush in the bathroom, and a barrage of teasing from Shaun about how he preferred his breakfast in the morning. Truth be told, Ignis didn’t mind it in the least, choosing to unwind after a long day by cooking dinner for everyone. Though he appreciated having his own space, he found that on the evenings he returned to his apartment often felt empty and quiet- on more than one occasion he’d found himself calling Jenny in order to fall asleep, only to find her crawling into bed with him. _I got lonely_ , she’d say as she snuggled up against him, never once bringing up the fact that he was the one who missed her more than anything. T _hink you can make room for me?_

Sighing, Ignis gathered the rest of his things and made his way to the shower, being careful not to wake up Gladio, who was still snoring on the couch. Y _ou do realize that this is practically your home,_ he mused as he stepped under the warm spray, reaching for his bottle of shampoo she insisted on using. _It makes my hair soft,_ she replied when he tried to chide her on it. _Besides, there’s no reason for me to buy my own when yours works so much better._ When he tried to protest, Jenny just laughed and shook her head wildly, making the red curls bob around her face. _Cut it out, Iggy,_ she teased. _You love how I look after using it._

 _I just love you,_ he thought as he rested his head against the wall, letting the water cascade over his aching muscles. Every time he closed his eyes, Ignis couldn’t get rid of the image of her face, staring at him with disappointment as he hastily blurted out what he’d been practicing for years. Inebriated or not, Ignis meant every word- the last thing he wanted her to think was that his proposal was a drunken moment of stupidity. You’ve forced your own hand, Ignis told himself. _Time is of the essence- you need to move quickly._

And as Ignis stepped out of the shower and started to dry off, the advisor began to formulate a plan.

_ _

* * *

“Hey, kiddo,” my mom said as I stepped through the door, wrapping me in a big hug. “Didn’t expect to see you over here this morning.” She gestured at the coffee table, where a tray of sandwiches was waiting. “If you’re hungry, help yourself.”

“If it eases your mind, Jenny, your mother had nothing to do with them,” my aunt Lana replied, shooting mom a teasing glance. “Sam was kind enough to make these for us this afternoon- she seemed quite insistent on it, as a matter of fact.” 

“Thanks, Aunt Lana- that actually does make me feel better.” My mom rolled her eyes and playfully shoved her sister as she made her way back to her seat, causing Aunt Sam to chuckle. Grinning, I took one of the sandwiches and sat on the couch next to Aunt Lana. Leaning against her shoulder as I munched on my food, I scanned the room in search of everyone else. “So, where’s dad?”

“Out with the guys,” Aunt Sam said as she sipped her drink. “We decided to trade for the day.” I gave her a hard look and she grinned, draping her legs across the arm of the chair. “Figured you might be stopping by, so we decided to hold our local Wine and Cheese club meeting here instead.” 

I raised my eyebrow- she knew more than she was letting on. “Bullshit, Aunt Sam- there’s no way Uncle Ali would let you do that without him. And Dorian would light your butt on fire- we all saw him do it before.” 

“One, language,” she said, waving a sandwich at me. “Two, that was one time and I was really drunk- otherwise you know he never would’ve had a chance to get the drop on me. And besides, that was Lana Banana’s fault- she didn’t give me time to bring him by before she drank his favorite bottle.” 

Mom just sipped her drink while Aunt Lana tossed a tomato at her. “In my defense,” Aunt Lana retorted, pausing to take a bite of her sandwich, “Grace was the one who bet me fifty sovereigns that I could not finish the bottle- winning was a matter of pride at that point.”

“Lana, you know that woman is a trap,” Aunt Sam said, rolling her eyes as mom picked up the tomato from her lap and ate it. “If there’s a bad idea to be had, she’s gonna find it and you know it!”

“Bad idea, fun idea… just depends on how you look at it,” Mom replied with a shrug, winking at me. “Not my fault you guys can’t hang with my awesome.” 

When I laughed, Aunt Lana wrapped me in her arms and placed a kiss on my head. “So, my darling niece,” she said as she tilted my chin so she could look me in the eye, “what brings you over here today to bask in the company of us wonderful old women?”

“Oh cut it out,” I replied, giving the woman who I could only hope to grow up and look like a tight hug. “You guys are hardly old and you know it. Also, can’t a girl just stop by to see her family every now and again?” 

“Nope,” Aunt Sam replied with a smirk. “You’re like a little rain cloud today, Shadow… all those stormy thoughts are just swirling around that little noggin of yours- they're so loud that I’m surprised Lana and your mom can’t hear them.” I gave the brunette my best death glare, but she just smiled and swirled her straw in her drink, her eyes never leaving mine. “So, you gonna tell them, or do I need to?"

“That will never stop being creepy,” I retorted, snuggling closer against Aunt Lana. “And even if I did have something on my mind, who says I wanted to share it with you guys? What if I just wanted to work it out by myself?” 

“Then I wouldn’t have said anything,” she replied with a knowing smile. “However, you and I both know you’re practically bursting at the seams to talk to someone, so…” she swept her hands outward, gesturing to her sisters. “I decided to assemble a crew for you.” 

I looked up at my aunt, who gave me a sheepish smile. “I’m afraid she’s right,” Aunt Lana replied, rubbing my shoulders. “When I heard you might need my counsel, I dropped everything and came over.” 

“Meaning she stopped eating everything in her house and came to mine to pick up where she left off,” Mom retorted, grinning at her sister. 

Aunt Lana just shrugged and reached for another sandwich. “Food was a factor, but not the only one,” she said slyly. “So out with it, Jenny- what’s troubling you so?”

“Ignis proposed,” I said grimly, staring down at my hands. “Last night.”

“And judging by the fact that you aren’t jumping up and down with joy right now, I take it you aren’t too happy about it,” Mom replied, shifting in her seat to get a better look at me. “Care to elaborate?” 

“He was drunk,” I admitted, feeling somewhat bad for sharing that fact. “It’s been four years, and that’s the way you choose to do it? Sorry, no thank you- I told him to talk to me about it when the world wasn’t spinning.” 

“You know,” Mom said slowly, thinking about it for a moment, “you know your dad didn’t do it right the first time, either.” 

I sat up and stared at her, confused as all get out as to what she was talking about. “I don’t understand- I thought you guys said it was a super romantic and sappy deal down in Sanctuary?” 

“I also find myself curious to hear the story,” Aunt Lana replied as she shoved the last of her sandwich in her mouth. “I always thought John was the standard for these sort of romantic endeavors.” 

“Oh _fuck_ no!” Mom said, laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face. “Initially, that bastard proposed to me in Diamond City…just to piss my friend Piper off.”

Aunt Lana scrunched her face up in confusion for a minute, then her eyes widened. “Piper… oh, you mean MacCready’s wife?” Mom nodded, still laughing too hard to speak. “By the Maker, how did that come about?”

After giggling a bit more, Mom wiped her eyes and flopped back in her chair. “Man, Piper hated him back then… the two of them were constantly picking at each other. She thought he was a man-whore, and he thought she was a nosy bitch. Oil and water for real, man.” She paused and took a sip of her drink, shaking her head. “She pissed him off and the man responded with a proposal- I thought I was gonna lose my shit that day.” 

“Good to know I’m not the only one with a… tweaked proposal,” Aunt Lana replied, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. “Ali proposed to me… in nothing but a towel.” 

“What!” Aunt Sam leaned forward, an expression of shock on her face. “That bastard never told me that! He was all ’twas magical and shit’… there were no mentions of being half-naked anywhere in that story!” 

“Oh yes,” my aunt replied, absentmindedly fingering the band around her finger. “We were in the bath, but as soon as he got out of the water he proposed… while it was definitely odd, I still happily accepted.” She looked up and smiled at her sisters. “Admittedly, we agreed it was best to leave that detail out of the story.” Smirking, she raised her glass in a toast. “Looks like Cullen wins by default- waking the sleeping maiden with a betrothal seems to be the standard to beat.” 

“And not once, but twice,” Mom added, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. “Goddamn overachiever.” 

Aunt Sam rolled her eyes right back. “Before you all start giving Metal Man too much fucking credit, I’d like to remind you that he basically goaded me into marrying him, remember?”

Aunt Lana practically shot out of her seat. “Oh yes- I remember now! That man made me traipse across the bloody city running errands so you two idiots could get married!” She shook her head and glared at Aunt Sam. “The only good thing that came out of that day was the breakfast burritos.” Aunt Sam raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat, but Aunt Lana just gave a dismissive wave. “And your blessed union and happiness, I suppose.”

Aunt Sam just laughed. “Judging by these tales, looks like Ignis fits right in, huh?” When she smiled at me, I instantly knew what she’d done and I felt so relieved that I immediately got up and gave her a hug. “Nothing’s ever perfect,” she whispered in my ear. “It’s how it ends up that matters, Shadow.” 

“Thanks, Aunt Sam,” I said gratefully. “You were right- I needed this.”

“Give me a little credit, kid,” she replied, kissing me on the cheek. “I usually am.”

_ _

* * *

“Shaun,” Ignis said hurriedly, toweling off his hair with one hand and frantically checking his phone with the other, “I need to borrow your car today, please- it is of the utmost importance.”

The older man didn’t even turn away from his cup of coffee- if Ignis was asking for something, then it had to be serious. “Whatever,” he grumbled, gesturing toward the shelf where he kept the car keys. “Just don’t wreck it, Specs.” 

Stammering out a hasty thank you, Shaun lifted his eyes long enough to see the advisor snatch the keys and race out the door as if the devil himself were after him. “Looks like someone’s in a hurry this morning,” he mused, returning to his coffee. “That’s new."

“Good for him,” Gladio mumbled, padding into the kitchen and pouring himself a cup of coffee. “The only thing I’m in a hurry to do is to feel normal.” He sat down across from Shaun, then rested his head on the table. “I feel like crap, old man.”

“I’d say have some breakfast, but our chef just ran out of here like his ass was on fire,” Shaun replied good-naturedly. “Think you can live long enough to make it to the cafe?”

“No choice,” the warrior groaned, running his hands through his greasy hair. “I gotta train Noct. The way I feel this morning, the kid might actually be able to land a hit on me today.”

“Well, this I gotta see,” Shaun said teasingly. “And considering Specs took my ride, I’m not doing anything- might as well be entertained and watch the prince hand your ass to you a few times.”

“Oh shut up,” Gladio retorted. “We both know you weren’t doing shit today anyway. C’mon,” he said, yawning as he stood up and stretched his massive arms, “You owe me for this hangover, old man- a nice breakfast sandwich should cover it. We should probably get something for Iris, too, seeing as I gotta go home and shower first… unlike _some_ people.” 

Shaun just nodded as he grabbed his sweatshirt, running a hand over his damp curls. When they’d gotten the apartment, Shaun had balked at the extravagance of having two bathrooms- however, he also never thought they’d be sharing with an impromptu third roommate that liked long, luxurious showers. Now, he was grateful for having his own bathroom, even if it did mean he couldn’t guilt his sister into cleaning it for him. “It’s like that man thinks he lives here,” Shaun grumbled as they made their way out the door. “I swear to God, one day I’m gonna change the locks on him… just you watch.” 

“You’ve been saying that for the past year and a half,” Gladio reminded him, laughing as Shaun punched him in the shoulder. “You’re all bark and no bite, old man.” 

“Whatever,” Shaun growled as they walked outside into the cool morning air. Even after all this time, he was always surprised at the difference between mornings here and in Diamond City. Back home, there was never this in-between time of day- there was only the oppressive, dry heat that seemed to soak through everything or the bitter cold of the evening. He’d grown to appreciate this time of day, often using it to get a workout in before heading to work. “Keep talking and I’m gonna lock you out, too.” 

“Then who’d get your drunk ass home after you decide you have something to prove to the first pretty girl you see,” Gladio teased as they grabbed their breakfast and a donut for Iris. “Admit it, you need me.” 

“You’d like to think that,” Shaun retorted, laughing as the warrior glared at him. As they made their way toward Gladio’s house, Shaun shoved his hands in his pockets. “How’s Shadow’s training going?”

Gladio raised an eyebrow. “She told you about that?” 

“It was either she was training with you or Specs was kicking her ass on the side, so I decided to go with the more likely cause,” Shaun admitted. “I take it there’s a reason you’re making my sister even more lethal than she already is?” The warrior turned away, confirming Shaun’s suspicions. “You got ordered to do it, didn’t you?” 

“Yeah,” Gladio admitted as they crossed the street. “Cor saw her fighting with Noct one day- was impressed when she cheated and snuck a winning blow. Came by and told me to work with her a little more- been doing it ever since.”

Shaun frowned. “Cor? The king’s right-hand man?” When Gladio nodded, Shaun’s frown deepened. “That’s not good, Gladio- she shouldn’t be on anyone’s radar, let alone the king.”

At that, Gladio laughed. “Hate to break it to you, but between her being tied at the hip to Noct and shall we say... connected to Iggy, they know all about you two.” When Shaun’s eyes went wide, Gladio chuckled. “Well, not everything,” the warrior clarified, “but enough. Judging by what you told us last night, I think your aunt might be helping the narrative a little.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest,” Shaun replied absentmindedly as they entered the house, each of them receiving hugs after Iris got her treat. As Shaun went to Gladio's room and settled in the chair to wait for his friend, he closed his eyes and wracked his brain to come up with why a reason why his aunt would let someone so high up take an interest in Jenny. _Doesn’t make sense_ , he thought to himself. _What are you playing at, Aunt Sam?_

Just as he felt himself drifting off to sleep his phone went off, startling him awake. Groggily, Shaun wiped his eyes and pulled the device out of his pocket and almost dropped it when he saw the message from his aunt flash across the screen.

Aunt Sam

Shaun, please trust me on this… I’m trying to keep them safe. 

He looked around nervously, half-expecting to see her sitting on the bed behind him. When he was sure that no one was physically in the room with him, he tried to control his shaking hands as he typed out a reply. 

What do you know, Aunt Sam?

He waited for a response, but his phone remained silent and Shaun sighed. Figures, he thought as he moved to put it back in his pocket. Not like I ever get a straight answer about anything in this family anyway. 

At that moment a single message popped up on his screen, and even though he knew it was stupid, Shaun swore that he could feel the sadness in the air as he read the message displayed on the screen. 

Aunt Sam

Way more than I should, kid. 


	8. Presentation is important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis bakes a really good dessert

_ _

* * *

“So,” Noct asked casually as we walked down the street, “care to finally share what’s going on with you this morning?” 

I shook my head. “Not really,” I replied. I had gotten back from my mom’s house, only to find the apartment empty and no sign of Ignis whatsoever. On the plus side, all his things were still there, so I knew he wasn’t completely mad. However, the apartment was quiet and still when I left, and when there were no messages for me from anyone, I slipped into a somber sort of mood as I made my way to Noct’s apartment. To his credit, he didn’t pry, but he was being a lot nicer than he normally was, which was both surprising and appreciated. “I promise, I’ll talk to you about it once I sort through it myself- there’s too much swirling in my head right now.” 

“Fair enough,” he replied. “Maybe it’s good you forced me to go to training- wouldn’t do you any good to stay trapped in your own head all day.”

“Guess not,” I agreed. “Kicking your ass a few times might not be the worst idea.” 

“Well, we’ll see if you can,” Noct said teasingly, bumping me with his shoulder. “Remember, I’ve seen you fight, Sweets.” I rolled my eyes at him, but he just grinned. “Seriously, though… you sure you don’t want to talk about it? I might even consider not teasing you about it.” 

“Will wonders never cease,” I said drolly. He waggled his eyebrows at me, and I finally let out an actual laugh. “Thanks for that, Noct.”

“Anytime,” he replied. “Just get ready for me to take your mind off things by handing your ass to you today.”

“You wish,” I retorted as we arrived at the training grounds. When I saw Shaun helping Gladio set up equipment, my jaw instantly dropped. “Um,” I said carefully, looking at Noct with confusion, “who invited my brother? Did you have a hand in this shit?” 

“This time, I can safely say that I had nothing to do with this.” The prince dropped his bag, giving my brother a nod of acknowledgment. “But it looks like your secret is out now- I gotta say, I’m surprised you kept it up this long, Sweets.” 

“Reckon so,” I grumbled. I knew my brother wasn’t going to be too happy with my training, but at this point, there was nothing he could do about it. I thought about giving the man they nicknamed “the Immortal” (because he never seemed to lose a battle) a smart ass reply when he requested I train with them, but one look from Gladio shut that down instantly. So, instead of talking shit like I normally would, I found myself on the training schedule with Noct, bemoaning the lack of free time and unbruised skin. Tentatively, I gave Shaun a half-hearted wave, hoping he would keep his shit together while we were in public. “‘Sup, Nerd- fancy meeting you in a place like this.”

“'Sup,” Shaun replied, settling on the grass and closing his eyes. Thankfully, Shaun was in no condition to argue with me- he looked as if he was ready to puke at any moment. “So,” he said, holding up his hand to shield his eyes from the bright light of the midday sun, “I see my little sis is out here trying to turn into Beefcake Jr, huh?”

“Not my fault people out here appreciate my willingness to fight,” I said easily, sidestepping his question and grabbing my training blade, slinging it over my shoulder and cocking my hip. “Come to see me show you how it’s done?” 

“Sweets, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that!” Gladio barked, stomping over and correcting my stance. “By the six, it’s a sword, not a baseball bat!” 

“I _know!_ ” I said as he swung the flat side of his practice sword at me, making me jump and land square on my ass, hard. "Sheesh, you’re grumpy,” I grumbled as I got to my feet, flipping off Noct as he chortled from his place on the bench. “Who pissed in your cheerios this morning?” 

“I’m hungover,” he muttered, stomping off to the side and taking a drink of water before sitting down and pulling his hat over his eyes. “You’ve got five minutes, Sweets. After that, I’m making you run laps for every time you start fucking around out here.” 

“A, I like to run, so that’s not a punishment, and B,” I said, dropping my weapon and sitting next to the frowning warrior on the bench, "you are _seriously_ in one shitty mood today, Gladdy- for fuck’s sake, it’s not my fault you and the nerd decided to get sauced last night.” 

He adjusted his hat and glared before handing me a bottle of water. “That’s a lap, Sweets- get to it.”

“You can’t be serious.” I stared at him incredulously, but he just stared right back, crossing his arms. “No fucking way- you are serious!” 

“That’s two now,” Gladio said, pulling the hat back over his eyes and leaning against the wall. “Keep talking and it’s gonna be three- doesn’t make me a bit of difference, Sweets.” 

“Yeah Sweets, better hop to it,” Noct teased, grinning as he lightly clapped his hands. “Chop chop, time’s a-wasting!”

“Glad to see you’re so enthusiastic about it,” Gladio replied, not moving a muscle. “Cause that’s a lap for you too, Noct.” 

_“What?”_ Noct shot up from his seat and jerked his thumb at me. “She’s the one who got all mouthy- why do I have to run laps?”

“Because you’re being a shit,” the warrior said evenly. “And congratulations, prince- that outburst of yours just earned you another lap.”  


_ _

* * *

Ignis made his way to the training grounds, doing his best to curtail his nerves. He’d been running errands all morning, trying his best to make sure that everything was just right for today. Luckily, his bumbling things up hadn’t deterred her from heading to training, so he was able to move about the building freely without her noticing him. _You can do this,_ he thought as he played with the sleeves of his light purple shirt, running his free hand over his freshly-trimmed hair. As he strode across the field, his other hand was clutched around the bouquet of purple and white flowers so tightly that he was scared he would crush the stems. Shaking his head, Ignis tried desperately to remind himself to relax- going into this a nervous mess would only serve to make things worse. 

When he arrived, he frowned- Shaun and Gladio were putting away the training weapons. “Am I late?” Ignis looked around, but there was no sign of Jenny and Noct as he handed Shaun his keys. "Did the session end early?”

Shaun laughed, shaking his head. “Nope- as usual, you’re right on time.” Smirking, he pointed to Gladio before hauling the bag towards the storage shed. “Apparently, Mr. Amicita is a grouch when he’s hungover- those two got punishment laps today.”

Ignis groaned- knowing his luck, Jenny was probably not going to be in the best of moods this afternoon. “And you couldn’t have _possibly_ waited until tomorrow to become the model of discipline?” 

“But they got on my nerves today,” Gladio grumbled. “And besides, they could use the laps- speed is important too, you know.” 

“Yes, but…” Ignis trailed off, then sighed- it wasn’t worth the argument. _What’s done is done,_ he thought. _Who knows- maybe I’ll be able to brighten her day._

Those hopes were immediately dashed when Jenny and Noct emerged from the field house. One moment, Jenny was laughing at something Noct was saying and the next her voice died away as she locked eyes with the advisor, her gaze shifting to the bouquet in his hand. “Hi,” she said quietly, nervously twirling a curl around her finger. “Didn’t expect to see you this afternoon.” 

“These are for you,” he said quickly, offering her the flowers. He thought about giving her a hug but stopped short, unsure of how she would feel about the contact at the moment. The end result was an awkward sort of bow that caused Noct to look at him strangely, but Ignis pressed onward anyway. “I trust your training went well today.” 

The prince looked back and forth between the two of them, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. “What the fuck is going on with you two today?”

Tentatively, Ignis reached for Jenny’s hand and felt his heart begin to pound in his chest when she took it. “Hopefully, it's nothing too serious.” Anxiously he looked at Jenny, fully aware that they had a captive audience but not caring in the slightest. “Right?”

Smiling, she wrapped her arm around his waist and craned her neck to kiss his cheek. “I think it’ll be fine.”

“You guys are both being idiots,” Noct grumbled, grabbing his bag and rolling his eyes. “Shaun, these two look like they’re trying to have a moment or something- do you mind taking me home?”

“Sure, but since the idiots are usually the ones responsible for my diet, I gotta stop off and get something to eat.” Shaun got to his feet and dusted off his pants, fishing in his pockets for his keys. “You wanna come with?” 

“Um, I sat with your evil ass all day,” Gladio replied, snatching the car keys from Shaun and heading toward the parking lot. “If there’s dinner involved, count me in.” 

Jenny started to say something, but Ignis lowered his head to her ear. “If you’ll permit me, I have plans for us this evening.” She was about to speak but Ignis cut her off, smiling as he placed a kiss on her neck. “And before you ask, I can assure you that those plans involve a meal.”

“Good to know," Jenny said happily, waving goodbye to the others as they made their way toward the car. "Will you tell me what these magical plans are?”

“Not a chance,” Ignis replied gravely, wrapping his arm around her waist as they made their way onto the street. “You see, these are magical ‘your boyfriend is an idiot plans’, so I’m afraid they cannot be disclosed at this time.” He adjusted his glasses as he leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “I’m sure you understand.”

She laughed, then paused to sniff the flowers in her hand. “Surprise flowers and spur of the moment plans? Why Iggy, you keep this up and I might start thinking you need to get shitfaced more often.” 

Ignis groaned. “I’d rather do without the inebriation,” he replied. “But if they make you this happy, then I think the flowers and plans can become a staple.” 

Her laugh was music to his ears as they made their way to the restaurant. “But Iggy,” Jenny said slowly, looking around and realizing where they were, “you didn’t have to take me here… you hate this place!”

“That’s not important,” Ignis replied. “What’s important is that you love it.” She gave him a look, but Ignis just waved her forward, refusing to deny her even for a minute. She was right- he absolutely abhorred the place. Years ago, Jenny and Prompto had found it on one of their explorations, and it had become one of their favorite treat spots ever since. However, the idea of paying for breakfast foods was positively stupid to Ignis, and he had pointed this out to the two of them on many an occasion. _We have a perfectly good kitchen,_ he retorted. _I can make you anything on this menu!_

 _But it’s open at two in the morning and doesn’t lecture us about eating crappy food that late,_ she’d replied with a grin, making her companions laugh while Ignis huffed, critiquing the lack of obvious care that had gone into composing their plates. However, he’d gladly eat anything from here with rave reviews if it meant that she’d smile at him like that again. “Today,” he said seriously, “isn’t about me in the slightest- it’s about what makes you happy, darling.”

“Thanks,” she replied, sending a happy flutter through his stomach as she looped her arm in his. “This is a really nice surprise.” 

Even though he knew he’d messed up, the fact that she was still willing and happy to be here with him gave him hope. “No, thank you,” he murmured as the hostess escorted them to their table. When they were settled at the table, Ignis nervously folded his hands. “I’m sorry for last night,” he said quietly. “That was not how I intended to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me.”

“So,” Jenny said warily as she glanced over the menu, “did you mean it?” 

“Without a doubt,” Ignis replied, trying to find something on the menu that wouldn't make him want to storm into the kitchen and cook it himself. The Ebony was safe, but he was pretty sure she’d be offended if he only ended up with a beverage, so he crossed his fingers that the salad wouldn’t be wilted by the time he received it. “However, my method of delivery was… less than stellar, I’ll admit.” He raised his eyes to Jenny, who was still pretending to browse the menu. “Are you not going to get your… bacon pancakes?”

She grinned, holding the menu up to her face to hide her smile. “I was trying to see if I wanted to be different! You never know- I could change, Iggy!”

Ignis just rested his head in his hands, staring at the redhead across from him with love and awe.”Never change, Jenny Hancock… and especially not for me.”  


_ _

* * *

As I munched on my pancakes, Ignis poked at the horrible-looking salad, trying his absolute best to not look like he wanted to murder everyone responsible for the abomination in front of him. “Well,” I said between bites, spearing some of my gooey confection on my fork and offering to him as a peace offering, “now that we’ve established that drunken proposals are not the way to go, are we good?”

“I certainly hope so.” Looking grateful for the appearance of realistic sustenance, Ignis leaned forward and took the bite of food. “And now that I know exactly what _not_ to do, if you could have your dream proposal, what would it be?” 

I stared at him as he sipped his coffee, his eyes alight with interest. “I’m not telling you what to do,” I complained, stabbing at my pancakes. “I dunno, doesn’t that defeat the point of it or something?” 

Ignis leaned over and grabbed some of my eggs, completely ignoring my death glare. “It’s an academic question.” As soon as he put the eggs in his mouth, he made a face. “ _By the six_ , how can you eat this? There are absolutely _no_ spices in here- where’s the tarragon? Or the creme fraiche?” He shuddered, then gave me a sheepish grin. “My apologies- it isn’t my place to critique your meal.”

“It’s cool,” I replied, laughing as I popped a huge forkful of eggs into my mouth. Sure enough, Ignis grimaced, which only made me laugh even harder. “You gotta remember, I’ve only had you spoiling me with lavish breakfasts for the last few years- considering the horror shows mom cooked when we didn’t stop her, this is gourmet cooking.”

“You’re kidding,” Ignis said flatly, staring at my eggs as if they were a crime scene. When I shook my head and popped the last of them in my mouth, he just shook his head. “While I love your mother to pieces, I fear that letting her loose in the kitchen is a crime against humanity.” 

“Dad would agree with you,” I replied, sipping my juice before returning to my pancakes. “It's why he learned how to cook- he said he didn’t want Mom ruining our birthdays.” Smiling at the image of my parents, my thoughts drifted back to his question. “I think I just want you to do something that means something to us,” I admitted. “It doesn’t have to be anything fancy- I just need to make sure that if we decide to do this, it’s for the right reasons.” 

“What would you consider to be the right reasons?” Ignis asked seriously, resting his hand on mine. “To me, if I were to propose, it would be because the very idea of spending the rest of my life with anyone else seems absolutely ludicrous.” His green eyes locked onto mine, making my heart thud in my ears. “Or that I love you so much that my heart breaks at the thought of being without you, or that I can’t imagine another person that would make me feel the way you do.”

“All good reasons,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks start to flush at his words. Trying to gain some sense of control back, I concentrated on finishing my meal. Finally, when the last wonderful bite of food was gone, I turned to the man who had my insides twisting in knots. “Iggy, if I tell you a secret...do you promise not to laugh at me?” 

“I would never,” he replied as he placed the money on the table and helped me to my feet. I smiled as we walked out the door, shivering when I got outside- the air had gone cold while we were having dinner, and my crappy t-shirt wasn’t doing much to keep me warm. Without a second thought, Ignis had whipped his jacket off and wrapped it around my shoulders, placing a kiss on my cheek. “What’s on your mind, darling?”

Looking at the jacket, I let out a small laugh. “You know, this is the same jacket you gave me when I ripped my clothes, Iggy.” 

He looked down at it for a moment, then chuckled. “So it is,” Ignis mused. “While you gather your thoughts, I believe I have a confession to make as well.” When I pulled the jacket tighter around my shoulders, Ignis pulled me in for a kiss. “Ever since that day, this has become my favorite jacket,” he whispered in my ear. “I used to dream of days like this, you know.” When I stared at him quizzically, he just laughed. “You and me, walking together with my arm around you and marveling at how much you loved me… I used to dream of these moments, but I was so scared that you wouldn’t feel the same way, so…”

“I was in love with you from the first day I met you,” I blurted out, my cheeks feeling like someone had poured lava over them. “It was stupid, but… it was like the moment I saw you, I felt…” I swallowed, trying to force myself to get the words out. “I felt like I was _whole_ \- like I found something had been missing my entire life. I should have told you this years ago, and I’m sorry… I just couldn’t admit it."

Embarrassed beyond belief, I closed my eyes, wishing that a hole in the ground would open up and swallow me up. But after what felt like forever, his hand squeezed my shoulder and I looked up- even though Ignis was quiet, his adam’s apple was bobbing up and down and his eyes were brighter than normal. “Jenny,” he said slowly, “you have no idea how happy that makes me.” 

“I’m glad,” I said honestly. “Cause it’s the truth… keeping that in felt like lying, and I never want to do that… not to you, not ever.” 

Ignis just laughed, holding me close as we made our way to his apartment. “Me neither,” he said softly, sounding a little wistful. “But enough maudlin things- even though I knew you’d eat that sugar bomb that masquerades as dinner, I still prepared a dessert for you this afternoon... if you want it, that is.” 

“Dessert sounds wonderful,” I said, lacing my fingers in his as we entered the lobby of the building. “Lead the way, Iggy."  


_ _

* * *

Even though the eggs on her plate were practically a crime against poultry and the salad wasn’t even worth the bowl it was served in, Ignis couldn’t remember a dinner that he’d enjoyed more. “I need you to wait here,” he said, guiding her to a chair and taking the flowers from her- they were desperately in need of water at this point. “It’s in the refrigerator- I’ll have it to you shortly.” 

“You don’t need to do that,” Jenny protested, trying to get up from her chair. “I can do it- you’ve been amazing all evening, Iggy.” 

“No!” Ignis barked, causing her to stare at him with concern. His tone was a lot sharper than he intended, so he gave her a sheepish grin and ran his hands over his hair. “This is your day,” he said nervously. “ _Please_ , just allow me to do this, ok?” 

Raising her eyebrow, Jenny settled back in her chair, crossing her legs beneath her. It was a challenge and he knew it- he would often scold her for placing her feet on the furniture, but she seemed to delight in finding new ways to irritate him with it. Trying to stifle the urge to chide her about it, Ignis was at war with himself. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and dragged the footstool in front of her, leaning over to gently unwind her feet from her lap and place them on the cushion. “You know better,” he said softly, shaking his head as she giggled at him. “At this point, I think you do this sort of thing simply to annoy me.”

“Finally figured that out, did you?” Jenny replied, laughing as she wrapped her hands around his neck. “Thought you were such a great strategist, Ignis Scientia?” 

“I haven’t studied you long enough,” Ignis said as he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose before rising to his feet. “Give me time and I’ll have it all worked out, believe you me.” 

“Oh really?” Jenny remarked as she settled back in the chair, folding her hands behind her head. “Gotta warn you, I’m not like your recipes, Iggy- I’m made of pretty complex stuff. If you ask my dad, I’m a puzzle wrapped in a riddle that’s only held together by a headache and a smile.”

“Wise words,” Ignis replied as he went into the kitchen, carefully retrieving the dessert he’d spent so long preparing. The miniature chocolate cake was swirled with purple and white frosted flowers, almost a perfect mirror of the blossoms he’d given her that afternoon. Ignis had visited the florist first thing, and he knew he’d been an irritant to the poor woman as he carefully arranged the flowers, harping on the placement of every bud in the bouquet. After he got the flowers he’d hastily texted Prompto, knowing he’d need his help- after swearing the boy to secrecy, they’d ran back to his apartment to prepare what Ignis hoped would be his finest dessert to date. 

After getting Prompto to settle down, they got to work on the frosting- _the color is key_ , he thought as he began to mix the sugars. He’d discarded so many batches of frosting that morning- they were either too light, too streaky, the wrong shade, the wrong texture… _This has to be perfect,_ he’d huffed, only relaxing when Prompto took a photo and showed him that despite his ineptitude, Ignis had managed to match the color properly. Thankful for his friend’s keen eye for composition, the advisor continued to work, breathing a sigh of relief as Prompto finally gave the confection a visual seal of approval. The layers of chocolate cake were spongy and light, the strawberries perfectly sliced and scattered across the layers like petals, and the light purple frosting was smooth as silk, making a perfect canvas for the purple and white petals to sit upon. _It’s perfect,_ he'd told Prompto as he added the finishing touches to the dessert. _My best to date._

“So, Mr. Strategist,” Jenny called out from behind him, her voice warm and teasing as Ignis headed back to the living room, determined to keep the plate steady in his hands, "how much time do you think you’ll need to figure me out?” 

“I don’t know,” he replied with a smile and watching as her eyes opened wide at the sight of the ring sitting on top of the dessert, the purple stone sparkling against the golden band. Taking advantage of a rare moment of speechlessness, Ignis sat the plate down, carefully removing the ring and sliding it onto her finger. “I think forever might be long enough.” 

Ignis held his breath as she stared at him, desperately hoping that he had done everything right this time. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was what he wanted more than anything- his only hope was that she felt the same. “Um,” she stammered, looking as if she was trying to remember how to breathe as she stared at her hand, the purple stone reflecting the light of the room as she brought it to her face, “is this-"

“Jenny Hancock,” Ignis interrupted, looking at her and trying to keep his voice steady, “would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” 

“Oh, Iggy,” she said quickly, throwing herself into his arms and crying as she buried her face in his shoulder. “You bet your ass I will.” 

Ignis thought sweeter words had never been spoken as he scooped Jenny into his arms, pressing his lips to hers as if she were the very air he needed to breathe. “Yes?” 

She laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and touching her forehead to his, letting her curls tickle his cheeks. “ _Yes_. All the yes, Iggy.”

“Mrs. Jenny Scientia,” Ignis murmured between kisses, feeling so happy he couldn’t be sure he wasn’t floating away. “My wife…” He closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart and failing. “I’m not dreaming, am I?”

She shook her head and laughed softly, her breath tickling his nose as he carried her to his bedroom. “I think that’s my line.” Jenny glanced around, then drew her hand to her face, staring at the ring on her finger. “This is gorgeous,” she whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“I’ve had it for quite some time,” he admitted, setting her on the bed and kissing her hand. “I saw it and immediately thought of you.” 

“So if you had it all this time, why’d you wait?” Jenny asked as she kicked off her jeans. "What, were you scared you were gonna change your mind?” 

“Hardly,” Ignis replied, taking off his clothes and folding them neatly across his chair before reaching down and doing the same with hers. “I was more concerned about you, actually.” She stared at him with confusion as she climbed under the covers, causing him to let out a sigh as he joined her. “When you came to live here, I wasn’t sure how long you were going to stay,” he admitted. “I didn’t want to seem like I was forcing you into a life you didn’t want.”

“So, why didn’t you say anything when we renewed the lease?” Jenny snuggled against him, her hand resting lightly on his bare chest. “Seems to me like that was a pretty good indicator that we decided to be here for the long haul.”

“It was,” Ignis agreed. “But unfortunately, I appear to be a victim of my own mind- I just got so caught up in finding the right way to do it that I did what I always do… which is nothing at all.” 

“Until your drunk brain stepped in and decided it was time to man up.” He groaned, but Jenny just laughed. “Guess when I tell this story, I gotta give Shaun credit for getting you wasted- otherwise who knows if I’d have waited for you to figure out you wanted to spend your life with me.”

“I don’t suppose there’s any way I can convince you to forget about that first proposal, is there?” When Jenny shook her head furiously, Ignis flopped his head against the pillow. “Great… it appears that one of the best days of my life will forever be tied to one of my stupidest moments.”

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” Jenny whispered as she climbed on top of him, her soft legs pressed against his hips. “The best marriages I know all started with something stupid… and yours really isn’t that bad.” He cocked an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugged as she took off her shirt. “I talked to my aunts and mom today… turns out all of the proposal stories were… _fluffed_ for public consumption.”

“While I’m happy to know I’m not the only one who has fumbled a marriage proposal,” Ignis said as he slid his hands around her waist, “I am sort of embarrassed that your family knows of my drunken misstep.” 

“It probably won’t make you feel any better,” Jenny replied as she kissed his neck, “but my aunt already knew, so…” 

Ignis cringed, which only served to make Jenny laugh even harder. “I hardly find this funny, Mrs. Scientia,” he said teasingly, then pulled her against him. “You know, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of calling you that, darling.”

“You might be jumping the gun a little,” Jenny said softly as he wrapped his fingers in hers. “I think we have to get married first, Iggy.” 

“I’m leaving that part up to you,” he replied, resting his head against her chest. “I’ve already proven that I’ll overthink this, so I think I’ll defer this responsibility to someone who won’t be suffocated by choice.” He let out a contented sigh as she shifted against him, the motion sending a shiver through his body. Not one to waste a perfectly good opportunity, Ignis reached up and unhooked her bra, sliding the straps over her shoulders. “I’ve been waiting for this for far too long.” 

“I wanted this for years,” she admitted. “So thank you… for everything.” 

“I think I should be saying the same thing to you,” Ignis replied, pulling her on the bed next to him. “So, I think you’ll need to hurry up and pick a day… because now I’m waiting for you to make my dreams come true."


	9. Serve and enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get set into motion

_ _

* * *

As the sun streamed into the window, I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. “Nooooo,” I cried, "I don’t wanna go adult today.”

From down the hall, I heard Ignis chuckle. “I’m afraid we both have duties to attend to this morning.” He walked back into the room, handing me a cup of coffee and placing a kiss on my neck. “Good morning, darling… I trust last night went much better than the preceding one?"

Sitting up and clutching the coffee as if it were a lifeline, I smiled. “I’d like to think so.” Then I sniffed the air, frowning when I realized I did not smell food. “Um, you feeling ok? You’re awake and nothing’s cooking- I feel like I should be concerned.” 

Ignis just laughed, pulling a set of dress clothes out of his closet. “I have to get to Noct’s this morning, so I figured I could make breakfast for the two of you at the same time. Plus,” he said sheepishly as he buttoned his shirt, “I must admit that I have very few groceries in my kitchen- somehow, they all seemed to have found their way to your apartment.” Ignis gave me a stern look as I set my coffee down and pulled the blanket up to my nose, letting out a shriek when he leaped on the bed and began placing soft kisses on my neck and collarbone. “Care to offer a guess as to why that is?”

“Maybe it’s because my fiancé spends most of his mornings over there?” Ignis just smiled, and I ran my thumb over his bottom lip. “After all this time, it sounds so weird to say that.” 

“Hopefully you won’t be saying it for long,” he replied. “This whole abdication of responsibility thing is absolutely freeing- I now get to pester you about when things move along… and I hope you know that I’m nowhere near as patient as you are, darling.” 

“We’ll see,” I teased, climbing out of bed and heading toward the shower. “Too bad you couldn’t have waited for me- I could’ve used the company in there.” 

“That’s precisely why I didn’t wait,” Ignis said casually as he straightened his clothes. “I wanted to be able to get breakfast started at a reasonable hour.” I rolled my eyes, but he just walked over and kissed me on the cheek. “Meet me upstairs when you’re done?” 

“Uh-huh, I know this game- you just want me to help you clean Noct’s apartment,” I replied, laughing as I sauntered toward the shower.  
—  
When I made my way to Noct’s, Ignis was in the middle of making breakfast. Surprisingly, the place was still clean from the other day, so there wasn’t as much trash to clean up as there usually was- _Shaun must’ve cleaned up before he left_ , I mused as I gathered Noct’s laundry and tossed it in the hamper. “Dude, you’re a grown-ass man,” I yelled as I leaped on his bed, causing the prince to jerk awake with a start. “When the hell are you gonna learn to clean up after yourself?” 

“But if I do that, how will you ever feel useful,” he said groggily, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “I can’t take away what gives you purpose, Sweets- that would be mean.” 

I hit him with the pillow and he laughed, flopping back down on the bed and gesturing for me to lay next to him. “I take it someone's feeling better today?”

Leaning against him as he placed his arm on my shoulder, I smirked and raised my hand, wiggling my fingers in the air. “I’d say so, yep.” 

Noct shot up, grabbing my hand and pulling it to his face. “No fucking _way_ … he finally did it.” Then he looked over to me with a huge grin on his face. “It's about time- I was wondering if you two dorks would ever get it together.” I scowled at the prince, but he just pulled me in for a hug. “Congratulations, Sweets,” he said seriously. “Looks like you’re officially family, so now I get to torture you even more.”

“If that’s the prize, then I’m completely happy to remind you that Ignis is not your actual relative,” I teased. “But if you promise to be a functional human being, then I’d be happy to be your sister, you uppity bastard.” 

“Those guys are the closest things I have to brothers,” Noct replied, slapping me on the thigh as he got out of bed. “So that makes you my annoying little sister by default.” I rolled my eyes at him, but he ignored me as he went into his drawer, tossing the contents on the floor as he grabbed a fresh set of clothes. “So, when’s the wedding?” 

I shrugged. “He left it up to me, but of course I have no idea how someone gets married out here.” I settled back against the headboard and closed my eyes. “So I guess I have some research to do, huh?"

“Well, what do you do back home?” Noct asked, leaning against his dresser. “It can’t be all that different, Sweets.”

I thought about it for a moment, then let out a laugh. “Well considering we’re pretty much rebuilding the world, we tend to make up a lot of it as we go.” 

Noct chuckled. “True, but your parents are married, right? What did they do?” 

“Had a priest come to a bar,” I replied. “We’re not the most reverent of families, Noct.” When he laughed, so did I. “Mom and dad have both officiated a few weddings, though- guess people like it when the head of the military or the mayor give a shit if you’re getting hitched.” 

“Then you’re in luck,” he said as he got on the floor, looking for something under the bed. “Works pretty much the same here, so I wouldn’t stress too hard about it. Just figure out when you’re ready to do it and I’ll help you out- no big deal.” 

I leaned over the bed and peered down at him. “Who are you and what have you done with the prince?” 

Before I could say another word, Noct’s hand shot up and grabbed my arm, slamming me to the floor. “Why Sweets,” he said mockingly, staring at me as I gasped for breath, “whatever do you mean?” 

_“I… hate… you,”_ I wheezed, still flat on my back as I tried to get air back into my lungs. _“I’m… gonna… murder you.”_

“Payback for making me run laps yesterday,” he sang out as he held out a hand- I angrily swatted it away. “And for all the times you cheated during training- I’d say we’re even, but we’re not even close.” 

“What on _Eos_ is going on in here!” Ignis panted, looking like he’d dropped everything the moment I hit the floor. “Why is Jenny on the floor?” Then he looked around the room and let out an indignant huff. "Why are the clothes I just washed strewn about?” He put his hands to his temples and closed his eyes, taking a moment to breathe. “You know what? Never mind… I don’t think I want to know. _Just_ … don’t kill each other before breakfast, ok?”

“Gotcha,” Noct replied, offering me a hand again. This time I took it, getting unsteadily to my feet and glaring at the prince. “Now that I’ve started my day on a positive note- I’m gonna go take a shower.” Then his eyes sparkled with mischief, and I groaned- there was no way this was going to go well. “While I’m in there, mind making yourself useful and straightening this up? I seem to be _terrible_ at keeping things clean, Sweets.”

“I hate you so much,” I growled as Noct left the room, whistling to himself the entire time. 

_ _

* * *

Despite her tussle with Noct this morning, Ignis thought Jenny looked positively radiant as he set her breakfast in front of her. True, her curls were wild and her clothes were a bit dusty, but she was here and ready to stay with him for the rest of his days. _She’s right,_ Ignis thought as he smiled at the woman across from him. _I do owe Shaun for those drinks- without them, I wouldn’t be here right now._

“This was definitely not what I was expecting when I went to bed last night,” Noct replied as he sat down at the table, grabbing a forkful of eggs. “I hear you proposed last night, Iggy.” 

“I did, yes,” Ignis said, feeling his cheeks redden with embarrassment and joy. “Granted, I should have done it eons ago, but I am happy that Jenny still decided to accept.”

“Like I was telling that bastard before he knocked me on my back,” Jenny grumbled, taking a bite of her toast and glaring at the prince, “all that’s left is to figure out how to get this shit done out here- I think you gave me this to me so you had more time to stall, Iggy.” 

“Heavens no,” Ignis replied, taking a sip of coffee. “I did it so you could stop me from dragging my feet- I’m afraid if it’s left up to me, we’ll be married in an absolutely wonderful ceremony… sometime in the next century.” 

“Sounds about right,” Noct mumbled, smiling sweetly when Ignis raised an eyebrow at him. “I don’t understand what’s so hard about it. Hey, Sweets,” Noct asked with his mouth full as he waved a piece of bacon at her, "you want to marry Iggy, right?

“Yep,” Jenny replied with no hesitation whatsoever as she shoved the last bite of toast in her mouth, getting crumbs all over her face. “Sure do- If we’re being honest, I was kinda scared I was gonna have to ask him myself.” 

You already did, Ignis thought with a smile. I just finally returned the favor. “I’m glad it didn’t come to that,” he replied, taking her hand in his. “But it warms my heart to know you would have.” 

Noct rolled his eyes, reaching for the butter and slathering it on his toast. “And Iggy, you want to marry Sweets, right? Like you aren’t gonna wake up tomorrow and freak out that you decided without twenty different research papers backing up your decision or something?” 

“I’m hardly that bad,” Ignis protested, only to be met by two sets of disbelieving eyes. “Oh all right, _fine_ \- I am that bad. _But_ ,” Ignis said as he pointed to the prince, “in my defense, I like to be sure about things before I do them. Thankfully, I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life,” he said with a smile.”In fact, having Jenny as my wife would make me happier than I ever dreamed possible.” 

“That’s good,” Noct said, taking a bite of his toast. “Cause you guys are married now- may the Astrals bless your union.” 

_“WHAT!”_ Jenny and Ignis said in unison, staring at the prince as he casually ate the rest of his breakfast, looking completely relaxed as he sipped his coffee. “Noct,” Ignis said, finding his voice after a moment, “What do you mean, ‘we’re married’? I’m quite sure there’s more to it than hastily uttered words over breakfast.” 

“Well, I’m the prince,” Noct said as he finished the last of his eggs. “Sweets said it herself- officials can marry folks, so I just did it. Figured you guys would drag this out for millennia if I didn’t step in… _again_.” He looked at the two of them over the rim of his coffee cup, then shrugged. “That is... unless you two don’t want to be married- then I’ll just judge you harshly and pretend this conversation never happened.” 

“I…” Ignis looked at Jenny, trying to make sense of what had just taken place. True enough, Noct wasn’t wrong- as the crown prince of Lucis, he did have the power to sign off on a marriage decree, but to do it so _casually_ … Gaping at the girl across from him, the advisor felt like his head was spinning- granted, he meant every word he’d said, but the suddenness of everything was sending his brain into a million different directions he had no idea how to handle. 

“I’m cool with it,” Jenny declared as she went back to her coffee. “I meant every word I said, and it’s not like I can’t have a frou-frou ceremony back home for everyone.” She smiled at Noct, who grinned back. “I guess being related to the prince saves me the trouble of dealing with legal bullshit.” 

“Sure does,” Noct agreed, giving her a high five as they both went back to their beverages. “So, Iggy,” the prince said, looking over at him with an expectant look, “your thoughts?”

 _I’m married._ Ignis just stared at her, still not believing his ears. “Jenny, are you _sure_ about this? I don’t want… I don’t want you to think you have to do this for me,” Ignis said, taking her hand and willing his racing heart to calm down. “I want this more than anything,” he whispered. “I just can’t take having this and it not being real… that’s not an option for me.” 

“I do,” she replied, smiling at him and squeezing his fingers. “If you want it, you have it. All you have to say is yes.” Then she paused, looking over at Noct for confirmation. “That _is_ all he has to say, right?” Noct nodded, and she turned back to him with a bright smile as the prince got up from the table. “But it’s up to you, Iggy- I’m here no matter what.” 

“Then yes,” he said in a rush, the blood pounding in his ears. “Yes, I want to marry you, right here, right now,” Ignis said, laughing in disbelief. “By the six, is this truly happening?"  
  
“Yep,” Noct replied as he dropped a piece of paper and a pen in front of them. “Sign and date this, both of you.” 

“I, Jennifer Nicole Hancock, agree to marry Ignis Stupeo Scientia -“ she snickered and Ignis poked her in the ribs, rolling his eyes at the mention of the middle name he often tried to forget. “Signed and officiated by the crown prince of Lucis, Noctis Lucis Caelum.” Jenny glanced up at Noct, who was grinning back at her, then signed her name with a flourish. “I wonder if I win the family award for stupid now," she mused, causing Noct to chuckle as she handed Ignis the pen. “Last chance to change your mind, Iggy.” 

"Never,” Ignis replied as he signed the paper, a disbelieving smile playing across his lips the entire time. “We agreed upon forever, remember?” 

“Then good luck with that,” Noct replied, signing his name and handing the paper to Ignis. “I’m sure you can get that filed away properly, right?” Then he placed a hand on Ignis’s shoulder, smiling at him with kind blue eyes. “Congratulations, both of you… you deserve this.” 

Ignis started to say something else but his phone began to chime, startling everyone in the room. Looking down at the screen, he groaned and gave his new wife an apologetic smile. “I hate to do this, but it's the palace,” he said sadly, gesturing to the phone. “I’m so sorry-“ 

“Don’t worry about it,” Jenny said, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be here when you get back… after all, we have the rest of our lives to celebrate, right?”

“Right,” he replied, kissing her and silently thanking the Astrals for giving him everything he ever wanted. 

_ _

* * *

Sam made her way through the palace, feeling stifled in the long green dress she’d worn for the occasion. Cor walked alongside her, his lips set in a tight line the entire time. She could tell that he was pissed off, but the watcher didn't care in the slightest- things were being set into motion that were much more important than the Marshall of the Crownsguard's distaste for her presence. “So,” she said lightly, knowing that any pleasantry she offered would be met with absolute indifference, “you’ve served the crown for a while, huh?” 

“That’s my job,” Cor replied curtly, his tone as sharp as ice. “And I do it well… at all costs.” 

Struggling not to roll her eyes at the dismissal, Sam closed her eyes and counted to ten. She thought about giving the man a mental picture of them being old friends to stop him from being such a dick to her, but she wasn’t sure even her magic could do that- at worse, she’d probably end up short-circuiting his brain, and she could hardly afford to do that. When he didn’t say another word, Sam gave up on pleasantries and decided to cut to the chase. “So, is my niece doing well?”

Sam had to bite her lip from giggling at the way the Marshall’s steps halted at the mention of Jenny and made sure her face was serene when Cor turned to look at her. “The solider is your niece?” 

“Yep,” Sam said brightly. “And the mechanic is my nephew, in case you’re wondering.” Ordinarily, she wouldn’t out Jenny and Shaun like this, but time was running out and she needed things in place. _Any port in a storm,_ she thought as Cor glared at her, his light blue eyes glinting with anger. “I told you, like it or not, I’m here to help."

“I don’t need your help,” he growled, turning away from her. “We’ve managed just fine without you and your ‘magic’ so far.” 

This time, Sam couldn’t fight the eye roll and glared at the warrior. “Look here, I’m trying to be nice, but diplomacy ain’t my strong suit, buddy- I’m new to this shit and you’re really starting to piss me off, my guy. So, you can either get the stick out of your ass and listen to me, or you can live the rest of your miserable life knowing you just blew off the only shot you guys have to get a better future- your choice.”

Quick as a flash, Cor had drawn the katana and held it to her throat- if Sam hadn’t seen it coming, she would have just about pissed herself. “You’re insolent,” he growled, the blade vibrating dangerously close to her skin. “Tell me what you know…now.” 

“With that attitude? No,” Sam said huffily, crossing her arms and glaring at the Marshall. “I’ve decided that I don’t like you.”

“The feeling is mutual, Lady Rutherford,” Cor rumbled, neither of them moving and both refusing to blink. “If you have information that can serve the crown, then you are bound to share it.” 

“Take me to Regis and I will,” she retorted, unwilling to back down an inch. When her husband asked about their meeting tonight, Sam decided that it might be best to leave this little part out of the story. “Look, I’m not here to get into a fight with you,” she said wearily, freezing time and moving to the other side of him. “I’m here to give you information… that’s all.” 

The slight widening of his eyes was the only sign he was affected at all by her new position, and Sam found herself inwardly nodding with approval- he was the right one for this task. “Then give it.” 

“Listen to what your king tells you,” she said slowly, searching the threads for how much she could tell him. “I know it’s upsetting- you’ve fought at his side forever, and I know these orders feel like a betrayal.” Sam watched as Cor went silent, finally sheathing his blade. “But in the end… they mean something. If you don’t believe anything else, believe that, because they’re going to mean the world to him and he trusts that you’ll follow them.” 

Cor stood there for a moment, and Sam thanked her lucky stars that she could see his threads. His thoughts were just like him- stoic, unmoving, and firm. “I hardly see how that helps,” he said stiffly, his shoulders tensed as he turned away from her. “I hope your information for the king is better than that, Lady Rutherford- otherwise I’ll see to it that you and your brood are all removed from Insomnia, post-haste.” 

_You won't get the chance to_ , Sam thought with a sad smile. “Oh, what I have to tell him is pretty important,” she replied, touching his arm. “But who were you talking about again?”

Cor paused for a moment, then waved a hand at her- the watcher just smiled as the threads shifted, now leading firmly in the other direction and her ties to Shaun and Jenny completely forgotten. “Never mind… let's just get this over and done with so you can leave… quickly.”

“Gladly,” Sam replied as she entered the throne room, her long green skirt trailing behind her as he shut the door.

_ _

* * *

Ignis raced to the palace, finding Gladio leaning against a wall outside the throne room. “I see you got the message too,” he said quickly, searching his friend’s face for any new information. “Is it true?” 

Gladio just sighed, his face far tenser than the advisor had usually seen it. “As far as I can tell, yes. The terms of the treaty came in today and everyone is up in arms around here- it ain’t looking good, Specs.”

“And considering we’re being called in, I suspect it has implications for the prince,” Ignis said wearily, glancing at the people scurrying through the halls. “Any idea as to what’s going on?”

“Right now, all I know is the Crownsguard’s been reassigned to serve the city- Cor lost his shit about that a little while ago. My dad had to be called in to talk him down, so I’m assuming it was pretty serious.” Gladio shook his head, then glanced up at Ignis. “I figure he’ll talk to me tonight, but..” 

“The ambiguity unnerves me,” Ignis admitted, earning a nod from Gladio. “This is an unprecedented situation indeed.” 

Soon, people began filing out of the throne room, and the two men were ushered inside. King Regis was standing by the window, accompanied by a short brunette woman in a long, flowing green gown. Gladio’s father, Clarus was on the other side of the room, and gave the two a nod, signaling that they had permission to approach the king and his strange visitor. 

“Your majesty,” Ignis began, bowing in greeting and seeing Gladio do the same out of the corner of his eye. Even though Ignis had often spoken with the king over the years, offering reports on the well-being of his son, he never felt completely comfortable in his presence- he supposed he never would. “You wished to speak with us?”

Regis nodded, still facing the window. His strange visitor hadn’t moved- she remained turned away from them, her tanned hands clasped behind her back. “I did… thank you for coming.” Finally, he turned toward them, offering the men a warm smile. “I trust you’ve heard the rumblings about the treaty, am I right?” 

The woman shifted, but Ignis could see that she hadn’t left her position by the window. Slightly unnerved, Ignis nodded to the king. “We have, your majesty.”

“Good,” Regis said with a sigh. “While peace with Niflheim is a boon to our people, it comes with a condition- the marriage of Lady Lunafreya and Noctis.”

Ignis was unable to control the expression of shock that crossed his face- the fact that Noctis was getting engaged to the Oracle on the heels of his own marriage felt too pat for his liking. Working to keep his emotions in check, Ignis swallowed, clasping his hands together. “Has the prince been told yet?” 

Regis gave the advisor a sad smile. “Officially? No. However,” the king’s eyes slid over the to woman at the window, confirming that she actually existed in the room with them, “I suspect that the Oracle is more than aware of the foolhardy machinations of men.” The king returned his gaze to the two men in front of him, then lowered his head. “As the wedding is set to take place in Altissa, I’d like you all to accompany him on his journey.” 

Gladio cleared his throat, no doubt trying to discern what the king was saying. “When you say all, who are you referring to, your majesty?” 

Regis smiled, once again glancing at the woman behind him, who shifted again ever so slightly. “For such a life-changing event, my son will need friends by his side. In addition to you two, I understand from Cor that he’s found a young woman that is quite capable with a blade, yes? And the young man from school… what was his name again?” 

“Prompto Argentum,” Gladio replied. “And the young woman Cor noticed is Jennifer Hancock, your majesty.” 

Ignis almost corrected the warrior but realized that this was probably neither the time nor the place. _We’ll discuss it later,_ he thought, noticing that the woman was slowly approaching the king. “I was under the impression that only Crownsguard or Kingsglaive members were permitted to travel with a member of the crown,” Ignis said carefully. “That being said, I am sure that the two of them would be more than happy to accompany the prince.” 

“That’s why I would like to make them members of the Crownsguard,” Regis replied evenly, glancing at the woman out of the corner of his eye. “Does the woman need further instruction, Gladiolus?” 

_The woman is my wife,_ Ignis thought angrily, working to keep his face still. He thought he saw the corners of the woman’s mouth twitch, but since he was still staring ahead, he couldn’t be sure. “I’ve also seen her,” Ignis offered, lowering his gaze in respect. “She is fiercely loyal to the prince, your majesty.” 

Regis nodded, then turned to the woman that was now at his side. Ignis glanced at Gladio, quite confused about her presence- no one except an advisor or shield tended to get that close to the king. Suddenly, a bright smile broke out on the king’s face, a sight so rare it startled the advisor. “I suppose she would be… considering she’s your wife. Congratulations on your nuptials, Ignis- maybe this is a sign that Noctis will find happiness in his union as well.” 

“Th- thank you, Your Majesty,” Ignis stammered, unaware of how this was common knowledge and very much aware of Gladio’s gaze burning a hole in the back of his skull. “I appreciate it.”

“That being said, Cor has vouched for her skill as well- she’ll be a fine addition to your party. Is the young man as well-trained as Jennifer?” 

Gladio remained silent, so Ignis elbowed him in the side, shaking him out of his daze. “No, your majesty. He’s mechanically proficient but untrained as of yet. However, with self-defense instruction, I see no reason he couldn’t be allowed to assist.” 

Regis nodded. “Please see to it that he gets it, Gladiolus- I believe his presence would be important to the prince.” He glanced over at the woman again and nodded, giving the two of them a weary smile. “There will be many details to work out in the coming days, but it was deemed important that I speak with the two of you today.” He gave them a nod and signaled toward the door, a clear indication of their dismissal. “Thank you for coming,” he said kindly.

“It was our pleasure,” Ignis replied, offering the king a bow. “By your leave, your majesty.”

When Regis nodded, Ignis left the throne room, a sea of questions swirling in his head and one highly confused warrior trailing behind him. 

_ _

* * *

“And it is just as you said it would be,” Regis said wearily, taking a seat on the throne. “I suppose asking if you can see a way out of this would be pointless, yes?” 

Sam just gave the king a sad smile. “Just as pointless as all the other times you asked me, yes.” She patted his arm and smiled, feeling her heart begin to ache as she stared at the older man in front of her. Though he was only fifty, Regis was tired and brittle, his body spent from the use of magic for so long. “Thank you for everything,” Sam whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. “You’ve given them a lot.” 

“Apparently, so have you,” he said, a note of teasing in his voice. “Your niece is practically a member of my family, Lady Rutherford- if I didn’t know your true intentions, I might be worried about your level of influence.” 

“Oh, so you finally trust me,” Sam teased, placing a kiss on the old man’s cheek. “And it only took you thirteen years to do it.” 

"I prefer to be thorough,” Regis said with a smile, wincing as he shifted in his seat. Carefully, Sam took his hand, handing him a new vial of the healing potion she’d asked Lana to make for him. “You do realize that you don’t have to do this,” he said quietly. “I can suffer my burdens for my people.”

“You’ll suffer enough,” Sam replied, watching as he drank the potion and breathing a sigh of relief as the pain receded from his joints. “There’s no need for you to be in any more pain than you have to be.” 

“Even when I’ve been curt with you, you’ve always endeavored to be kind to me,” he said softly, glancing around at the images painting the room. “Why is it that one not of this world has so much heart for those who might weep in it?” 

“Because I’m selfish, Regis- we’ve established this already,” she said, laughing as she rested a hand on his arm. “You just happen to benefit from it.” 

Ignoring her jibe as he always did, Regis smiled up at her, his kind green eyes finally free of pain. “Am I doing the right thing, Lady Rutherford? In the end, will all this be worth it?”

Sam sighed, popping an M&M in her mouth and offering one to the king. She knew he’d decline, but she always offered- it was only polite, after all. “I suppose it depends on how you look at it,” she answered honestly. “To the world, I suppose it is… but I don’t know if it’s worth it for you, Regis.” 

“If it’s better for the world, then it’s worth it to me,” he said firmly, placing his hand on hers. “My duty is to my people… as it always is. I just hope they know that everything I’ve done, it was meant to protect them.” 

“One day, they will,” she assured him. “And since we’re square dancing around the issue, so will Noct- Jeez Louise, Regis, do you _ever_ get tired of never saying what you mean?” 

The king just shook his head at her. “Insolent woman,” he said teasingly, letting out a genuine laugh as she gave him a deep, mocking bow before winking at him. “Will I see you again before this is over, Lady Rutherford?” 

Sam smiled at him, squeezing his hand. “Is the great king of Lucis finally admitting that after all this time, we might actually be friends?” When Regis just smiled, Sam scanned the threads, looking for another point where she could come through. Finally, she saw one and bit her lip, not wanting to divulge what she’d found, but when he squeezed her hand again, she relented. “I can come at the end… if you want,” she said quietly, actively avoiding his gaze. “But I’m scared you’ll hold it against me.” 

“I’ve made my peace with my fate long ago,” he replied firmly. “Having a friend with me is more than I ever thought possible- I would never hold such a blessing against you.”

Trying to keep her voice steady, Sam just nodded. “Just remember, I owe you a moment,” she said quietly as she prepared to leave the throne room for the last time. “May I call on you when it’s time to use it?”

Regis just smiled as she made her way to the door, resting his head in his hands and closing his eyes. “I look forward to it, Lady Rutherford.”

_ _

* * *

As they made their way out the main hall, Ignis could feel Gladio practically sparking behind him. “Specs,” he said carefully as they made their way through the palace, “I know we drank a lot, but I think I’d remember if you had said you were getting married!” A few people turned to look at them, and Ignis felt his face go flame red. “What the _hell_ , man! When did this happen?”

“This morning,” he admitted. “Noct married us- he seemed to have it in his mind that it was of the utmost importance that he save me from myself, and since Jenny wasn’t opposed to the idea…” His voice trailed off, but Gladio just scowled, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway. “Seeing as I had proposed yesterday, I saw no reason to stop him.”

“Oh, you mean other than the fact that _none_ of your friends knew this was happening?” Gladio retorted, poking Ignis in the shoulder, hard. “Seriously, you didn’t think that we’d want to know? You didn’t think her _brother_ might want to know?” 

As the realization that Shaun might very well punch him in the face washed over him, Ignis squirmed under the warrior’s gaze. “It just _happened_ ,” he said pleadingly. “I wanted it so badly that I just didn’t think-“

“Hold on,” Gladio said, staring at him with shock, “you’re telling me that mister double and triple check didn’t think about something? I didn’t know you could do something impulsive- I thought you’d explode from the mere thought of an unknown factor creeping into your plans, Specs.” 

“I had the ring for over a year,” Ignis admitted. “Prompto helped me make the cake-“

“You mean _Prompt_ knew about this before I did!” Gladio squawked, making the advisor wince. “Wow, this just keeps getting better and better by the minute!” The warrior glared at Ignis, drawing odd looks from people as they walked through the halls. “I thought we were friends!”

“We _are_ ,” Ignis pleaded, working hard to ignore the stares being leveled at them. “If it makes you feel any better, you’re the first person outside of the king that knows- does that count?”

“Any reason you two are arguing like an old married couple out here?” Shaun asked, sticking his hands in the pocket of his jumpsuit. “I can hear you guys squawking from across the hall- figured I should come out here and see what was going on before I grabbed some popcorn.” 

“Oh you’re _so_ gonna want the popcorn,” Gladio said wickedly, crossing his arms and staring at Ignis. “Today has been a ride, but it seems Specs is just _itching_ to share some good news with us- ain’t that right?” 

“Brimming,” Ignis said dryly, wishing he could work out a way to punch the warrior without breaking his hand. “But this is hardly the place to have such a conversation.” _I think I need somewhere more public,_ Ignis thought as he watched Shaun fiddle with his phone. _Maybe then he won’t cause a scene._ “Can we do this over coffee? After that meeting, I find that my nerves are feeling rather frayed.” 

Thankfully, Gladio didn’t argue. “Yeah, I can see that,” he admitted. “How much do you know about what’s going on, old man?” 

“I wasn’t always a mechanic,” Shaun said with a smile. “You’d be surprised what you can learn when no one thinks you’re listening.” Ignis raised his eyebrows, but the older man just grinned. “C’mon- we can swap stories over lunch. Seeing as how my personal chef never came home last night, I’m starving.”

Ignis winced again. “Sorry about that- Jenny and I spent the evening together at my apartment and-“

“Whoa whoa whoa,” Shaun said, putting up a hand to stop Ignis. “Look, we’re cool and all, but that’s still my sister, Specs- I literally have _no_ desire to hear what the two of you get up to in the evenings- in fact, it’s better for everyone if I don’t know.”

“Oh, I think you want to know this,” Gladio muttered as they walked into the coffee shop, grabbing sandwiches from the display case. “Especially now.”

“Let's start with the more pressing piece of information,” Ignis interrupted, grabbing his cup of Ebony. “Jenny has been recruited to the Crownsguard,” he said as they sat down. “Along with Prompto as well.” 

“Not what I would’ve led with, but Specs is right,” Gladio replied darkly, taking a huge bite of his sandwich. “Some big things are going on around here, Shaun- not sure if you want to stick around for it... if you know what I mean. Might get weird for a while.”

“This got anything to do with Noct and the Oracle getting hitched?” Shaun asked quietly, his voice barely audible over the din in the cafe. When Ignis just stared at Gladio, Shaun chuckled. “Told you, former life skills come in handy around here sometimes. Figured I’d be better off asking you guys, though.”

“I can’t confirm or deny that,” Ignis replied, looking at Gladio and mentally willing him to shut up- friend or not, Shaun was still a civilian. “But if that were true, it would certainly explain your sister’s new position, as only a member of the Crownsguard can accompany a member of the royal family on a diplomatic mission.”

Shaun nodded, clearly understanding what Ignis was telling him. “And when would this hypothetical mission happen?” Shaun asked, sipping his soda. “Does she have enough time to train up or for her to go home and get her gun?”

“Gun?” Gladio looked over at Ignis, confused. Ignis just shrugged- he’d never seen Jenny use anything other than a dagger or her practice sword. “I wasn’t under the impression she could shoot.”

Shaun burst out laughing. “Shadow.. can’t shoot? I swear for your sakes you didn’t bet her on that, cause if that’s the case you’re gonna be out some serious cash, guys- my mom and uncle are the best shots in the Commonwealth, and they’ve been training us since we were kids.” He shook his head, then took another sip of his soda. “That girl could practically nail a fly to the wall blindfolded,” he said proudly. “So can I, as a matter of fact- she just likes to get all stabby to show off.” 

“Well, guess we all know who’s not coming back in one piece when he pisses his wife off,” Gladio said with a grin, looking pointedly at Ignis. “Nice knowing you, Specs.” 

At that, Shaun raised an eyebrow. “Wife?”

Ignis sighed- breaking a hand was sounding more and more like a small price to pay for a bit of retribution. “Yes,” he said slowly. “I proposed last night and Noct married us this morning- we were going to wait and tell everyone this evening,” he gave Gladio a harsh look, but the warrior just continued eating his sandwich. “However, the king had an advisor with him today that seemed to know what had happened- she told him before I had ever said a word.” 

“Yeah,” Gladio said thoughtfully, sipping his drink. “It was weird- normally, my dad wouldn’t let anyone get that close to the king. But,” he mused, “he didn’t seem to care one way or the other… almost as if they all knew each other. Especially weird, considering there were a lot of meetings going on today, but everyone seemed to be perfectly ok with her listening in on them.” 

“Hmm,” Shaun said thoughtfully, swirling his straw in his drink and staring at the ceiling. “What did she look like? You guys ever see her before?” 

Gladio shook his head. “Nope… can’t say I have. She was short, had dark hair and tan skin, but I couldn’t see her face. What about you, Specs?” 

Ignis thought about it for a moment. “She felt familiar, but I don’t recall seeing her before. However, I also never got a good look at her face.” He frowned, then took a sip of his coffee. “I wish I knew who she was- I feel like it might be important.”

Shaun sighed, then finished the last of his drink. “We’re gonna just push past the fact that you married my sister without telling me,” he said in a mild tone that scared Ignis more than if he’d started yelling at the top of his lungs. “But only because I think we got bigger problems, guys.” 

“Whoa,” Gladio replied, looking over at Ignis and letting out a whistle. “Must be pretty big if you aren’t losing your mind right now, old man.” 

“It is,” Shaun agreed, leveling a hard look at the advisor. “Cause I think that mystery woman was my aunt.” 

“Your aunt?” Gladio and Ignis said in unison, twin looks of horror on their faces. “You mean the woman who brought us all together…” Gladio said slowly, "has the ear of the king… right as there are talks of the biggest peace treaty in Eos?” He gave Ignis a worried look. “I dunno, Specs- right when you get married, all this goes down? Something doesn’t sound right, man.”

“I agree,” Shaun replied. “And that’s exactly why I haven’t rammed your face through the window yet,” he said evenly. “Something’s up, guys… and I don’t like it.”

“Do you think you could ask her?” Ignis asked, looking back and forth between his friends. “Maybe she might be willing to offer us some insight as to what’s going on.”

“Sure,” Shaun said, turning to the window and resting his chin in his hand. “Say, Aunt Sam, do you mind sharing what’s going on in that noggin of yours with the mere mortals? Inquiring minds want to know.” He cupped a hand to his ear for a moment, then shook his head and shrugged. “Sorry, but that’s about the same level of effectiveness as asking her a question, guys- if she doesn’t want you to know, you never will.” 

“So what do we do?” Ignis asked, trying to gather his thoughts. “This seems like it’s important- how do we handle this in the meanwhile?” 

“We do what everyone else in my family does,” Shaun said darkly. “We cross our fingers and say a prayer before everything goes to hell.” The young man laughed mirthlessly, raising his glass at Ignis. “Welcome to the family, Specs- looks like you’re in the thick of it now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! The next story, The Shadow and the Light, is currently in progress- it's going to go into the main events of the game, but with a Team Mage twist. However, I may wait a week to post- it'll give me some time to focus on some of my other works in the meantime. 
> 
> If you've stuck around this long, thanks for reading! It's a pleasure to put out content people enjoy, so feel free to comment- love hearing from you guys!


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